The Darkest Knight
by Metal4k
Summary: A Guardian wakes up in a world he doesn't know, in a world not destroyed by war, but on the brink of it. He doesn't remember how he got there, but he knows one thing is certain. He is a Guardian, protector of Light and Humanity, so he will do whatever it takes to protect the world.
1. Chapter 1

**The Darkest Night.**

 **Part 1: The reforming of Overwatch.**

 **Chapter 1: A lost Guardian**

* * *

My eyes opened, and the first thing I saw was light.

Blinding, brilliant, blistering light.

Never thought I'd say this since becoming a Guardian, but fuck this light.

I blinked over and over, my pale hands covering my face for a moment till my eyes finally adjusted. I'd never been asleep long enough for my apartment lights to wake me up like that. I also didn't remember my bed to feeling like thick blades of grass, or trees planted inside my room.

I rubbed my head, shaggy hair ruffling thanks to the disturbance, and sat up, staring at the greenery surrounding me and listening to the sounds of chirping birds and singing insects all around. Vines, trees, shrubs, plants, you name it, and it was here.

A jungle.

Now I've been to Venus, been in the jungles that covered its surface even when the Vex were atop it, but this jungle was different.

It was peaceful, and as a plus I didn't feel like I was in any danger.

But I was in a jungle.

Not in my bed back at the Tower.

How the hell did I end up here?

I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing but a croak came out. I coughed, and the dry, sand paper feeling in my throat forced me to gag.

Fuck.

With a violent shake and a bite of my cheek I coated my mouth with saliva and opened my mouth again. It was moist so I swallowed and felt life return to my throat.

"Di… Dig? You here little bud?"

There was a chime and next to me, in a brilliant flash of light, my ever faithful Ghost appeared. Dig was his name, a sarcastic piece of shit that was my best friend in this hell torn world.

"You don't have to yell." Dig… Dig groaned? I'd never heard him groan. At least, not to where it seemed genuine.

I ignored his complaint. "Where are we? Doesn't look like the Istar Sink. Doesn't look like Venus at all."

Dig hummed, his lights and triangular form twirling for a moment. "I have no idea. I'm picking up no singles, no transmit zone, no anything. I can't even raise the emergency Com's channel. We could be too deep in the Amazon on Earth. Its possibly the jungle is too far away or too thick for the signals to penetrate."

"Great." I sighed, and with a nod my helmet, Vermilion Strip 1.0, appeared over my head. "Stuck in a jungle with only you for company."

"At least its not as bad as when we were stuck in the Cosmodrone that one time."

I scoffed, "when we were stuck with fireteam Zulu?"

"Yes. Those asshats thought they could bring down ten minotaurs using only their fists."

"Thank God we were there to kill the reinforcements that showed up." I laughed before looking at my attire. I was dressed in my armor and…

Wait. How had I gotten dressed? I was asleep! Who dressed me!

A heat rushed over my cheeks, and I looked around. At the very least I seemed alone. Still, being clothed without my knowledge was unnerving.

I flexed my arms, my Spektar Grasps moving with every minor movement I made. I took a moment and looked over my armor. Heliopause Vest wrapped my torso, as per usual, and my Bones of Eao were still attached to my legs.

For a moment I thought about shooting my foot to see if I was dreaming, but when Dig turned to me, and made a motion with his little pieces that resembled a roll of his eyes, I decided against it.

Definitely wasn't a dream. Even in my dreams he wasn't such an ass.

Strangely though, I had no cape.

"Hey Dig, you have any spare capes with you?"

"Actually… I have a lot…. Even stuff I wasn't carrying when we retired to the room for the night."

Weird…

"Well, what do we have?" I asked, stretching my legs for a moment before checking to see if my knives were still on me. All three were, so at least I had that.

Dig floated closer. "Raze Lighter, 1000-Yard Stare, Gjallarhorn, The Next Big Thing, Saterienne Rapier, and the Last Word. Plus, of course, your sparrow and… that's odd."

"What is it?"

"Our ship was turned to programmable matter. I've never done that before. I've heard of it, but its rarely done. I mean, it hasn't been done in decades."

I shrugged. "Guess there's a first time for everything. Give me the Big Thing, Rapier, and Lighter."

"Sure. Want anything else with that? A cookie maybe?"

"Sure. Make it chocolate chip."

"Eat me." Dig quipped before my equipment appeared on my back. I drew Rapier and checked the ammo count. Full, and from what my visor told me, so were my other weapons.

My radar was working and my grenades were full. Even my melee was charged up.

"So about that cape?" I asked looking at my Ghost.

"We got one. The Shattered Vault…" His voice dropped.

My heart sped up and I scowled.

"Give it to me."

Without a word it materialized, its golden black form billowing against my back, the wind caressing it and its dark embrace.

"All right, first things first." I said lowering my weapon to my side and spinning around. "Where the hell are we?"

"A jungle."

"It was rhetorical Dig."

"Well you shouldn't have asked it."

"I'll kill you."

"Scary." The Ghost disappeared and I rolled my eyes before setting off though the brush.

The leaves, nor the twigs bugged me. I pushed them out of the way, and my armor made anything that would scratch me null. Still, the sounds of life were overwhelming. Birds flew by me, and animals leaped all around, though most of them stayed hidden even from my sight. It made me jumpy. The jungles on Venus were quiet. Only the Vex ruled that green.

So, as we went I tried to remember what happened.

I had come back from a mission, taking out a Fallen Captain who was rallying rogue troops to himself, and after Cade cleared me I had walked into my apartment in the Tower, showered and went straight to bed.

I had dressed for bed. I had put my armor away. I had looked at the picture frame on-

No. I shut my eyes and stopped walking for a moment.

Don't think about them.

Her…

"So, want some music?" Dig asked. It was his way of taking my mind off… off of it.

I nodded and Thistle & Weeds started up. Not a bad song, and hey, made me feel like everything was ok. Of course I never knew what ok was considering I was a soldier in a never ending war, but fuck it.

And so we marched on.

For hours.

Literally, we trekked through endless jungle for hours. And hours. and hours….

And… "Ok Dig, how long have we been walking?"

My stomach growled.

"We've been going for five hours. Not a change in anything around here, though I literally just started picking up faint signals. They're… old, and primitive in a sense. I was scanning for our Com's channels and didn't even think to check for old FM and AM channels." Dig replied, his voice oddly curious. "They still suck, but they're being used." There he is.

I pushed another branch out of my way. "Well what does-"

 _Snap!_

I spun on my heel, coughing and raising my rifle in one expert move. At twenty three I wasn't the youngest or oldest Hunter in the ranks of the Guardians, but I knew my stuff. I was experienced, I had been there at the Gates helping breaking into the Vault of Glass. I had hunted down Skolas's lieutenants with the team who would eventually kill him. I had spared with Lord Shaxx and not come out with ten broken bones, only five. I had been there when Crota fell.

So when I say not much could surprise me I felt like I was telling the truth.

But this got me.

I was a… a….

Well first off it was clearing, at least a hundred feet in diameter. The sun poured in like a glorious ray announcing the worlds next savior, and the green swayed with a light breeze.

But thats not what got me…

It was…

Uh…

"What is that?" I asked, half lowering my gun and half tightening my grip.

"I presume a robot. Considering its mechanical and has a light for an eye and… Oh. Now it's staring at us."

It was a robot, Dig was right about that. But nothing like I'd ever seen.

The thing was tall, at least eight feet. Maybe nine. It made Shaxx look small. It was covered in grass, it was blocky in design, but also lanky. Its head twitched and a single white light shined towards me. A bird sat on its shoulder and a large machine gun hung at it's side.

"Beep bo bop bo bop." It's head tilted. Well it definitely wasn't Vex.

"Uh, hi." I muttered, not sure whether it was going to try and kill me or was just greeting me. That damn machine gun was big though.

Dig then stated, "It's trying to communicate with us. Hmmm. Old Binary I think. Here, make it speak again."

"How?" I growled and the robot took a step back.

"By being your charming self idiot."

I sighed and lowered my gun. "Hey buddy. I'm Nate. Just taking a stroll in the jungle. What's your name?"

The machine, robot, whatever it was, actually seemed to blink its one light eye. "Beep bop."

"Got it. It's name is Bastion." Dig informed.

"So Bastion," I began, "were friendly ok? I just want to know which way the last city is."

The Robot, actually seemed to relax. I had no idea it was agitated. Guess my people skills are kind of off.

"Bee bo bop bo bo."

"It has no idea what that last city is, but it says the human city of Rio is not far from our current location." Dig translated for me.

I raised an eyebrow inside my helmet. "Rio? What the hell is that?"

"If my databanks are correct, it's a city that existed in the early twentieth and twenty first centuries. It was wiped out during the the Fall."

"Well, I guess the thing means the ruins of Rio."

"Maybe." Dig replied in my helmet.

"Which way is Rio?" I asked, staring up at the machine who was…. well it was watching the little bird fly around it. It was distracted by it. Intently, and curiously, watching as the bird chirped and flew around it.

Weird….

I cleared my thoughts and asked again, "Which way is Rio?"

 _Snap._

I heard the snap, the breaking of a twig nearby, it was light but just enough for my ears to pick it up. We were in a jungle, full of unknowns, but my sixth sense tingled and that had saved me in plenty of situations against the Hive or Vex.

My weapon shot up, my cape spun as I twirled onto my knees and took aim.

 _Bang!_

A shot flew over my head and I instantly fired, bullets ripping into the trees behind me and shredding woods, plants, and probably dozens of insects.

"Bee boooo!"

"Get down!" Dig ordered.

"Why?!" I yelled, another shot rang out and slammed into my shoulder. I reeled back and my shields fell a forth of the way.

A whirring sound filled the air and I glanced back only to see that the strange robot had shifted into a front facing mini-gun….

The barrels began to twirl and I instantly hit the ground.

The deafening sound of dozens of bullets spilling out and tearing apart the jungle filled the air and I looked to where the bullets where hitting.

It was blur, but purple and black dashed thorough the trees, somehow evading bullets and another sniper shot let off.

A clink sounded and the mini-gun stopped firing.

My chance was clear so I shot up to my feet and drew raze lighter. A fire shield formed in front of me and the next sniper round bounced of it harmlessly.

I dropped the shield and flipped forward, smoke billowing out and I turned invisible from my secondary grenade. I had moments but that was all I needed. I slipped around a tree and saw a blue woman with a visor- aiming right for me.

I sidestepped to the left and a shot ripped the air apart right next to my head.

My camo broke. I lunged forward, and my sword sliced thorough the air where her head had once been. A boot hit my chin and I stumbled back. Again my sword came up and shielded me as a fully automatic machine gun unloaded on me at point blank.

"Last word." I growled and it appeared on my thigh.

Her clip clicked as the last bullet left its chamber and I lunged forward again. My sword strike missed again, thanks to her expertly timed dodge, but I drew last word with one hand. I fired at her and the visor retracted from her eyes and she back flipped away from my first two shots.

She wasn't as lucky as my third hit her thigh ripping through her…. skin tight suit, and injuring… flawless skin.

My distraction at her attire didn't go unnoticed and only the click of her weapons reload got me back into reality. Bullets hit my shield and I blinked backward before priming a grenade and tossing it between us. Half a dozen arc projectiles split open and raced at her while I raised Last Word.

A grappling hook shot by my head, forcing me to dodge, and the next thing I saw was a knee slamming into my visor. With a snap my head flicked back, but I recovered and spun. Last Word fired off three rounds at her retreating form, one hit but two missed.

Still her hook pulled her through the trees and she disappeared behind the green. I blinked after her, Raze-Lighter once again in my hands, and landed on the other side of the green she used to cover her escape.

I scanned my surroundings, but she was long gone. I could see a small trail where blood had leaked on the plant life but it ended only a dozen feet away. She had patched her wound quick and fled. Smart.

Raze-Lighter dematerialized and I twirled Last Word before replacing it back at my hip.

She was skilled, but in close range I had had the advantage. The way she had almost got the drop on me, suggested training. It also suggested intelligence, and she was injured versus me who wasn't. Intelligence suggested she would flee and live to fight another day.

Still, as I walked back to the clearing I kept my senses on high alert. You could never be to careful.

The sounds of sparks and welding equipment caught my ear and I looked to the robot who had helped me. He- yeah I'm calling it a he so what- was sitting down and his free hand had turned into a welder of sorts. It sparked against the crook in his elbow and after a few seconds the welder shut off.

Bastion flexed his arm and looked to me. "Boo bo bop. Be."

"He says thank you for the assist."

"Who was that? And why did she try to kill us?" I asked, a little ticked that I had just been shot at by an unknown assailant. An Awoken looking one at that.

"Bop. Be."

"He says he doesn't know."

I groaned. "Great."

"Boo beep be bo."

I cracked my neck. "What'd he say this time?"

"He says that he can take you to Rio as a sign of good faith. You did help him after all."

I looked at the Robot. Sure we had just worked together against an obvious assassin, but I still didn't know if this machine was on our side. It could be an old construct from the Golden Age wandering aimlessly, or a Vex machine in disguise, though I doubted it was the latter since it had yet to try and kill me.

"Sure why not." I reluctantly agreed.

At the very least Bastion could get me to a large enough open space and Dig could materialize our ship.

The ruins of an ancient city should be a perfect candidate.

Besides, whats the worst that could happen?

And so we started off our little band, actually the two of us, the machine and I, towards Rio.

He didn't say much, and neither did I. Well, at least to him.

"So what is he?" I asked, my internal comms keeping the conversation private.

"Not sure. No records exist of his design. However these signals I'm picking up hint at ages past technology. It's only brief snippets I get, still trying to adjust to them, but I keep getting words like war, Omnic crisis, Overwatch, the United Nations, Plasma TV's, Radio, and burgers."

"Burgers?" I asked.

"Popular apparently, but that's what caught your attention? Not the mention of the United Nations? Or the Omnic Crisis which mind you was never mentioned in any historical records?"

I took a deep breath and Bastion beeped at me.

"I'm fine." I told the robot before returning to my private conversation. "Dig, get into any form of communication you're picking up. Get me any info you can about where we are."

"Now thats a plan. I can tell you already though, the United Nations, they died off hundreds of years ago. They fell in fire and war, fighting to the last man against the Darkness."

I pursed my lips, stepping over another large log. "And we have no confirmed reports of a new faction claiming to be them?"

"Not as far as I know. Maybe Cayde knows something about it."

"Maybe. I guess it wouldn't be hard for a new faction to pop up " Somehow I doubted that. A new faction rising was a big thing. It meant more division, more resources split between more people. If that had happened, Cayde would've said something.

Something about this was all wrong.

That much I knew.

* * *

Tracer landed without so much as a grunt, her keen eyes surveying the war torn jungle.

It was obvious a battle had taken place here. The spent bullet cartridges and the blood were sure tell signs of that. Apparently though not a single person had been killed. There were no bodies, and if it was their suspect then _she_ would have left bodies for her and Winston to find.

Windomaker was cruel like that.

"Nothing, Winston. Just spent bullets and poor sods that didn't stand a chance." She frowned at the torn plans and trees.

"Always a step ahead isn't she." Winston murmured.

"I'm sure I can find her in Rio love. No reason to fret." The English woman smiled gently before teleporting across the clearing. "From the looks of things whoever she fought put up a fight and didn't die, and if I know her she's going to try again."

She then saw the blood. "And there's blood. If anything I'd bet her mark's going to need a Hospital. Makes Rio even more of a target for her."

"She does pride herself on her work." Winston agreed. "She won't let them go. What's her saying?"

"One shot, one kill." Tracer reminded herself.

The Great Ape sighed. "Be careful ok?"

Tracer smiled again, "oh you worry too much! Have a sense of adventure Winston! I'll be fine. Otherwise I'd be a pretty poor agent."

She teleported again, this time onto the top of a small tree. Her green eyes gazed out through the trees, hoping to see something of a trial to follow.

"Well you're already poor second in command."

"Winston!"

"You left another banana in my locker!"

"But you love them!"

The Ape groaned and she giggled before teleporting once more, this time towards Rio.

"Just be safe. Mei, just arrived and Mercy and Torbjörn are still on their way. I'll head to meet you in Rio in a few hours."

"Don't be late love." With that the Com's died and Tracer let a content grin spread across her face.

She had a good feeling about today.

* * *

 **A/N Here it is. The Darkest Night. Destiny meets Overwatch. Guardian meets heroes. Nate is a Hunter, hence the cloak, and he faced Widowmaker in this first chapter. Don't worry, there's a reason why to everything that happens in my stories.**

 **In case anyone doesn't know, Bastion and Widowmaker aren't apart of Overwatch. From what my research though the comics and Wiki, only Tracer, Winston, Mei, Mercy, Torbjörn, Reinhardt, McCree, and Genji are (Game character wise at least, there are other members but they aren't int he game). The others aren't apart of the group, and Reaper and Widowmaker are actually complete enemies of them, hence why in the game there's dialogue between Tracer and Widowmaker that make it clear they are not friends. 76 and Reaper were at one point apart of Overwatch but that was their late persona's Jack Morrison and Gabriel Reyes.**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoyed. Review, God Bless, and go Overwatch!**


	2. Chapter 2

**The Darkest Knight**

 **Chapter 2: Smoke and Grenades**

* * *

I rolled to my right, and the trash can I had used for a brief moment of cover was ripped in half by a sniper shot. I slipped behind a nearby rock wall and reloaded.

"What the hell is this chicks problem!" I growled, peeking around the corner and firing of two shots from my rifle at the sniper before being forced back into cover by the combined fire of several, what I now knew thanks to Dig were, police officers.

They obviously weren't working together since I'd seen them trade shots as well, but the police seemed to think I was the bad guy here as well.

Guess that happens when you're involved in a firefight in a heavily populated area.

"Not sure. It's strange that an awoken would be attacking you so viciously. The Queen made a treaty with us after all." Dig replied.

"No shit!" I snapped before blinking to the next building; a store of some kind. The front doors slide open for me and I slipped inside, two sniper shots trailing after me.

With a cough I reloaded and looked at the customers inside. They were cowering behind shelves and against the glass doors in the frozen isles, most staring at me like I was some kind of monster. I rolled my eyes, "stay down and don't come out until the fighting over."

A blink later, I was back out in the open, and tossed a grenade at the taller building.

The Assassin flipped off the building, avoiding the blast, and into an open window of the one next to her. I pursed my lips and blinked across the street even as several shots form the police trailed after me. I drew Last Word from my thigh and put Rapier on my back.

"Is that building empty?" I asked, ducking behind a car.

"One sec…" Dig scanned then replied, "on the upper levels. Civilians are taking shelter in the first and second floors."

Blink Strike was ready a second later. I could use that to end a close up fight between me and the Assassin but I had to get close. With two bursts of my jetpack I was lifted up to the third floor window. I grabbed the ledge and pulled myself inside. My feet touched down on the inside of a staircase and-

"Death comes for you."

A gun cocked next to my face and I swore.

How the fuck had I found myself in this situation?

* * *

 _Several hours earlier…_

* * *

"So Bastion, what exactly are you?" I asked, eyeing the great machine up and down.

He looked down at me and tilted his head before looking back in the direction we were headed and gently pushing a large tree branch out of the way. Granted it was only an obstacle to him since he was a giant, but when he held it I took it as a gesture of kindness. "Bee bop bo bo bop be."

Dig automatically translated, "he says he does not know what he is. He sees videos, hears stories of what other like him did and he does not know what he is."

I stopped for a moment, then continued following. "So, what you're saying is you know what you are, just not _what_ you are?"

"Bee bo bop."

"He says that doesn't make sense."

I sighed. "Ok, um it's kind of like this, I'm a human, thats what I am, but am I supposed to be a hunter or a warlock? Do I study or do I hunt? Thats _what_ I am. You get me?"

"Boop."

"He says-"

"Let me guess he said no?"

"Right you are."

I shook my head and twirled one of my knives in my hand. "Ok, so change of subject. How many people have you met?"

"Be."

"He's met five people."

I nodded my head and leapt over a fallen tree, while Gigantor just stepped over it. I then continued, "and what were they like? Anyone like me?"

"Bee bop bo bop. Be be, wheee, wo."

"Ugh.." I drawled.

"Oh sorry." Dig replied, obviously distracted by something. "He said that he's never met anyone like you. Two people he met were hunters, not you like you, actual poachers, and they tried taking his friend, aka the bird on his shoulder."

"What happened to them?"

The machine looked at me and blinked his one light before looking away.

I got the hint well enough to just keep the conversation going in a different direction. "So what about the other three?"

"Be bo, wee, bop bo. Boop bo bo be whe, re we. Bop bep be bo we." This time his hands, well his hand and giant machine gun, moved up and down as if he was picking the way some people speak with their hands moving at the same time.

Dig cleared his throat, "one was a man who apparently had some harsh things to say about him and his kind, but left him alone after that. Another was a boy who though he was, and I quote 'Rad', then finally there was a little girl. He say's she was sweetest, and most honest soul he as ever known. She used to visit him everyday in the jungle."

Not really saying much considering he says he's only met five people, but I digress. Its his life so whatever.

"Cool. Does she live in Rio?"

Bastion shook his head and I grinned at his antics. "So where does she live?"

"Bee bop."

"He says she doesn't."

I glanced at the robot and saw him only looking forward despite the fact a few branches snapped against his head. It was hard to read, but I still understood what he was saying.

"I'm sorry, care if I ask what happened?"

"Bee bop."

"He doesn't want to talk about it."

I grew quiet. What was I supposed to say? Sorry she died? For all I knew she didn't die and just left but he though that was the same? Honestly I have no idea. The guys a machine, but a lot more prehistoric than any Exo I've ever met.

"Bee bo bop we reh whe be bo bop." Bastion looked over at me.

"This time he says, he doesn't mean to be rude. He says it hard to think a human can care for his kind. You are the second person to ever be kind to him."

"Well," I shrugged, "in my defense we were both getting shot at and someone had to deal with crazy lady before she actually did kill either of us."

"Be bop we be bo."

"He says not true, because you had a chance to shoot him and did not. He is grateful for that."

My face turned to confusion and I turned my gaze back to Bastion. I get he'd only met a few people, but for him to just assume all humans, and Awoken since he sort of met crazy assassin lady, would want to shoot him is a bit much.

Why would he think that? What has this guy been through?

"Bee bop bo."

"He wants to know if you think Bastion is kind?"

I chuckled. "Anyone who's willing to walk several hours with someone they just met just to make sure they make it to their destination on time is kind in my book."

Bastion perked up, his shoulders getting higher and his light eye getting brighter.

Guess that made his day.

And so we continued one hour after another, talking and conversing about things of a brighter nature. Bastion was actually a decent traveling companion, he didn't complain and was polite enough, though Dig was still a shit since he started complaining about having to translate everything for me.

We had just started discussing the possibilities of building an automatic translator into my helmet, to which Bastion I used to bounce Ideas off of, when I pushed through a particularly large bush and found myself on the edge of a mountain, looking down on…. on…

"This is Rio?" My heart was racing and my breath caught in my throat. "But…"

I didn't know what to say. A thriving city. An actual city! One that wasn't the Last City! There were lights, sounds, noises, homes, cars, and all manners of sorts of things I'd only seen in the history videos.

There were living people in this city! But that was impossible… Because of the Last City… That's what it is. The Last City! There was no other place in the world safe for our species to live. The Fallen, The Hive, they made sure of that.

I pulled my rifle and used its scope. Maybe it was trick of the eyes… Maybe…

"Dig?" I asked, staring wide eyed at the city skyscrapers as I dropped my rifle.

There were people down there. Even Exo. This should've been impossible.

"I'm just at a loss as you are…." My Ghost appeared next to me. "I even hacked their communications channels, browsed every source of info I could find… And… I don't know what to say."

"Bee bop."

"Not now Bastion." I said with a shake of my head. Sure I had no idea what he was saying but I couldn't handle anything else right now. This was just too much…

I licked my lips. "Tell me everything you found."

"Ok, you asked for it. According to, well everyone, we aren't in the twenty eighth century anymore. The year is apparently twenty seventy six."

I blinked. That…. that…. God how do I even explain myself… How? I just…

"That doesn't make sense." I argued.

Dig grimly laughed. "Of course it doesn't. Not even to me…"

We were in the early twenty first century. I had heard, hell I'd even seen the Vex use time travel, but I thought it was always minuscule movements. I didn't think time travel was possible to this extent.

"Then there's this earths, what I would consider, third World War. A war between the Omniums and humanity. The Omniums apparently rose up in a rebellion against their human creators and declared an all out war. It was considered the largest threat to humanity since the Cold War. Still, humanity won with the help of a group called Overwatch, whom were eventually disbanded for treason and illegal operations."

"Omniums? Who are they?" I asked leaning back against the nearest tree. I didn't care that Bastion looked at me like I was crazy, or that the lights and sounds of Rio filled the air before me or that the jungle growled behind me.

The year 2076? How?

Dig took a moment before he replied, "they're like the Exo. Except young and childish. They're still very new to the world and though peace is official, they're is still massive unrest, especially in Kings Row and Russia."

"Good lord… So…" I didn't know how to say it. Everything I'd known… was it gone? Where was I? I cleared my throat. "Are we on Earth?"

Dig sighed and he appeared next to me.

"Beeeee!" Bastion wheeled. I don't know what he did next but I stared at Dig. He didn't normally appear when we were traveling unless what he had to say was important.

"Nate," He floated closer, "this is Earth."

Gunfire echoed out from the streets of Rio and my head snapped to attention. It was close, just below the great statue of a long lost religion.

"Whats going on?" I asked drawing my rifle.

"Not sure." Dig then continued, "according to communications between authorities its a heist, but… its odd. The men committing the heist are heavily armed. More so than even the authorities."

That caught my attention. "We'll discuss this later. Get me directions."

"Why?" Digs voice was curious but I could tell he already knew my answer.

"You know why."

I rolled my shoulders and looked to Bastion. "Thank you for getting me here."

"Bee bobop we be bop."

"He says if you want he is willing to escort you to very edge of town, or he can wait in case you want to talk more."

I felt a pinch in my gut and looked at Bastion

The guy almost looked…. hopeful.

Guilt riddled my heart. This poor guy, asking a complete stranger if I want him to wait here so we can talk more.

I smiled sadly inside my helmet. "I'll be fine, but you can wait if you want. I'll be back as soon as I know whats happening."

There was a flash, and I blinked towards the city.

* * *

 _Now..._

* * *

And so here we were now. After traveling down the mountain side with Bastion waiting on top for us to return, Dig and I ended up in the streets of a fire fight. The criminals were definitely armed and trained, but it was easy to subdue, if not drop, all of them.

Then the Assassin showed up and I had to deal with her. Of course it would have been easier to kill her if not for the authorities, those officers, trying to shoot me as well.

So I followed her up here and now I had a shotgun pointed at my head.

But I didn't earn my title as a Guardian for being tricked so easily.

It was why before I jumped up here I had waited for blink strike. It's why I used blink to teleport right up to follow my attacker, only to find someone tall and dressed in black with a bone mask ready to kill me.

So I slammed my elbow into their gut on instinct, using my natural speed to my advantage.

A low grunt left their throat, telling me it was a man, and I raised Last Word to his face.

Sure he had a few inches on me but that didn't matter.

What mattered is that-

Bang!

A bullet hit my hand and a foot slammed into my face. "Shit!"

I stumbled to the side and turned as the blue woman opened fire on me at point blank range. My shields flared and I flipped backwards, enveloping the power of the void to turn me invisible for a brief moment, mid flip, as I primed a grenade.

My feet landed, my shields at three fourths strength, and I tossed the grenade at the two.

The woman shot her grappling hook and launched herself at me, but it was too late. The grenade detonated and smoke filled the stairs.

I heard coughs and blinked up to the next level of stairs. I drew Last Word once more and saw it smoking.

Shit. It disappeared and I drew Rapier, quickly firing off four shots before a shogun fired up at me. I stepped back against the wall as pellets ripped the stair railings to shreds.

"Dig, can you get ahold of Bastion?"

"What? You're the one that told him to stay behind! And no I can't! Its not like he has a cellphone!"

"Gah!" I roared. I grabbed another grenade, my actual one, and lobbed it down to my two attackers.

A vortex of void energy ripped open and I again used my boosters to blast up towards the next level of stairs. I glanced up. Only two more floors to the roof.

If I could draw them there I could get Raze-Lighter out and use it. A close range hit with the sol powered weapon would kill both with one strike.

I blinked up and grabbed the seventh floors railing before pulling myself up and kicking the door to the roof open. Thud's echoed behind me so I rushed forward, spun, and dropped to one knee.

Dark smoke filled the doorway and I fired as my sword appeared on my back.

"Hehehe." The smoke wisped around me and I rolled backwards, doing my best to avoid being surrounded by it.

"Die!" Twin shotguns formed from the smoke and fired right at me. I barely sidestepped the blasts in time.

The next moment fully automatic fire greeted me and I was forced to take the brunt of it as I grabbed my sword of my back. I twirled it in front of me and the shield formed to take both attacks that came at me.

I grinned. My grip tightened and the power of Sol wrapped around me, orange fire flickering off my armor. I lurched forward, bullets turning to ash as I neared them and Raze-Lighter singed the ground as it shot towards its prey- the man in a mask.

Fire ripped the air in two but there was no resistance, only smoke. My sword kept going and slammed into doorway, shattering the wood and cracking the concrete.

"What the…" I went wide eyed and spun just in time to block two more shotgun blasts to the face. These were far stronger than before, and though my shield took the hit, it still sent me flying backwards and back into the stairwell. The railing shattered as I went though it and fell.

 _Wham!_

A knee hit me in the back then a foot hit my head. The blow knocked me into the wall face first and I tumbled to floor.

The woman landed next to me, rifle aimed at my head. I blinked up and the sniper shot tore the floor a new hole where my head had just been.

I drew my knife and Blink Striked the woman, in her back. The blade sunk with ease, metal tearing skin, electricity whirling around it. She roared in pain, but spun and kicked me in the head.

"She didn't die?" Dig perked up as I side stepped another punch. She leveled her gun and fired. I blinked behind her and drove my foot into her back, then something hard and metal hit me in the back. I tumbled forward and her rifle suddenly became a bat to her and she hit me with the sniper.

I flopped to the ground and again found two shotgun barrels at my face. I primed a grenade and prepared to blink.

"So, I see you're still up to no good. Bugger." A peppy voice filled the air and I saw my assailants look up.

I released the grenade and blinked.

An explosion rocked the building, fire ignited the stairs and shattered the outer walls.

I landed on my feet, drawing Rapier once more and aimed.

My assailants were gone. Not unexpected considering one of them turned to smoke, but I knew they were still around here. That sixth sense was still tingling.

"Hey you!"

A quick spin and I had my rifle aimed up at a new target.

She was short, with short spiky hair, a pair of what looked like goggles, tight yellow leggings, and wore… something on her chest?

"What?" I asked keeping my eye on my radar in case one of the others tried to show up.

This girl was lucky I wasn't trigger happy. I know plenty of Guardians who would've shot her on sight just because of the adrenaline rush. Of course none of them had ever been in this situation…

"Why are they after you?" She asked with two small, what I guessed were, sub machine guns pointed at me.

"No clue." I said.

There was a blink on my radar. My aim adjusted, "behind you!"

She spun and the next thing I knew- she blinked, then I fired on instinct.

The man still wielding his dual shotguns, stumbled back from my first shot, but I kept firing. Red light engulfed him then he disappeared in a puff of smoke. I raised an eyebrow and saw the blip on my radar a split second too late.

Shotgun blasts slammed into my back and threw me froward, draining my shields halfway. I used the momentum to spin around and clumsily fired off three more shots.

Two missed, one hit. The man jerked back as his shoulder was hit and he cursed before firing at me once more. I backflipped up the stairs behind me, and Dig already knew what I was going to ask as The Next Big Thing appeared in my hands.

I let off two consecutive shots and the man ducked just before they tore him in two.

A quick flash of light appeared behind him, and the smaller woman was there. She pirouette on her heel and jammed the bottom of her foot into what I guessed was his throat. He fell back, cracking the railing and she fired at point blank.

The sounds of metal meeting metal filled the air and the railing finally gave way.

"Gah!" the man yelled as he plummeted five stories down to ground.

I dashed over to the edge of the stairs and looked down. Nothing.

They weren't going to get away so without a blink I leapt down, falling down the fifty or so feet and landed with grunt, my legs bending to absorb the impact. I raised my rifle once more, sweeping the immediate area in a circle only to find a door with the word 'exit' above open. I dashed through it and found myself in an alleyway in-between buildings.

"Dig see if you can find a trail. Look for smoke." I stated as I lowered my rifle.

The flashes of blue and red kept me from going into the street since I knew the authorities would be there, and as they'd shown, they weren't very fond of me.

"Hey you!" I spun around, rifle aimed right in between the eyes of the peppy cheerleader who interrupted the fight.

"What do you think you're doing causing all this mess?" She asked, her own weapons raised at me and brow narrowed in suspicion.

I rolled my eyes but kept my guard up. "Wasn't me. There was a heist and when I showed up to help, those two showed up and well you've seen the results yourself."

She smiled. "So just a good bloke trying to keep the peace eh?"

"Yes." I gave her the short answer and glanced up when Dig added, "I have a trail. On the roof, small remnants of smoke with no fire."

"Well I'd love to chat," I told the woman, who I noticed wore a cute brown jacket with large cuffs, "but I have some jerks to catch." With that I blinked up once, then twice and used my jetpack to blast me up to the roof where I landed in a crouch.

I checked my radar for anything, hoping to see if-

"You're fast love, but you can't beat me in a race."

I looked to the side, standing up as I saw the clearly British woman standing there, twirling her weapon with a smirk on her face. I frowned. Who was this chick?

"Look, I can tell you were trying to help," she took a few steps towards me, a soft smile gracing her shining lips, "and since you didn't leave a trail of bodies, I assume you weren't with them."

I nodded, my triggering finger twitching.

"Trail's going cold." Dig stated in my ear.

The girl continued, "but I don't know you, and you're dangerous. My friend Winston, lovely big guy, is coming here to help, but I just want to talk." She raised her weapons, pointing them upward and holding her hands out in a open surrender gesture.

"Well," I sighed, "no offense, but I have somewhere to be." I turned away from her and started off in a light jog towards the edge of the roof.

Dig then stated, "kind of a dick move"

"I don't feel like talking to the cheer-" There was a small flash and the girl was in front of me, a smirk on her face.

I scowled and blinked over her. My feet hit the edge of the roof and I leapt to the next one, rolling to dissipate any spare momentum before sprinting.

Another small flash and, "look, you're fast I'll admit," she was running besides me, "but not fast enough. hehe." She giggled then teleported in front of me.

"Shit!" I spun around almost losing my footing but managed to stay up right and blinked again, this time over a air conditioner and onto a pile of boxes. My jetpacks activated and launched into the air, pushing me towards the next roof.

Another flash and she was in literally in front of me, with that damn smile still on her face!

"Nate!" Dig yelled.

She disappeared and I went wide eyed right before-

 _Wham!_

I flipped, the metal pole breaking as my armor hit, and fell face first to the newest roof I had jumped too.

A dull pain ran through my chest where I had so graciously connected with the damn pole. I coughed and slowly sat up, shaking my head to clear it.

"That one looked like it hurt."

I rolled my eyes and looked to my left.

The girl was there still smiling, though she actually seemed concerned. It was the way her brow was slightly furrowed, how her eyes were just a tad too wide as she looked at me, how her body language was leaned towards me and her-

Kathy…

My eyes shut.

"Nate?" Dig asked.

"I'm fine." I opened my eyes and glared at her, though thanks to my helmet this girl had no idea what I was doing. I grabbed my smoke grenade.

"I just want to talk." The girl once more stated.

I didn't give her anymore time and blinked over to her. She gasped as I landed in front of her, then blinked again, this time low and right into the alley between the buildings I was jumping around.

My grenade detonated in hand and invisibility cloaked me the moment I landed. I sprinted out of the alleyway into the streets, only glancing back to see the girl standing around confused. We were a few blocks away from the police so I kept going, praying that smokes effects would last long enough to get me to the next alleyway.

My footsteps echoed out, and confused civilians spun around to look for the source, then I rolled into the nearest alleyway and my invisibility broke.

"Close." Dig chided and I hit my helmet to shut him up.

I checked my radar and when that was clear, I looked up to see if the girl was still following me. No one was coming down from the roof and I made sure no one followed me from the streets before relaxing.

"Light me up a waypoint to find my way back to Bastion." I stated, stretching my arms one at a time.

"Nate, do you want to talk about the whole… we're in the twenty first century thing?"

I licked my lips.

"Let's get back to Bastion first. Maybe he can explain some of this to us."

* * *

Tracer POV

* * *

"Aw bugger." Tracer sighed leaning back against the alley wall with a pout. She was throughly interested in this new development. She and Winston had kept track on most, if not all, the unique persons who were popping up around the globe.

But she'd never seen, or even heard of someone like this.

Armor, and what looked like shields that could take Reapers shots at point blank with easy, who seemed to be able to go toe to toe with Reaper and Widowmaker

So he, from what she could tell it was a he, became of interest. She jumped in only when she thought he needed help, and seven though she was faster, he had still managed to slip away.

She frowned and the Com's came alive.

"Lena, I just landed, where are you?" Winston's voice bellow into her ear.

"Ow, not so loud big guy." She scolded, "but I'm near downtown. Had a run in with our two favorite people."

"What! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine love. But…" She didn't know how to describe her newest interest.

"What is it?"

"Winston, besides McCree, is there anyone else we of that wears a cloak and uses high-powered weapons?"

"No why?"

"Well," she smiled, "I think I found a new vigilante."

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Novawolf13: He's a hunter and a human. I didn't out right state just showed it with the use of invisibility and his pale skin and brown hair.**

 **RoboReader: Well Widowmaker isn't skilled in hand to hand hence why our Guardian was able to overwhelm her at close range. She was able to surprise him because he's got no clue where he is, what happened, and is generally out of his element. She also surprised him when her thermals activated. A guardians cloak isn't a cloak from everything, I think just from the visible spectrum, hence why in game bosses can still tell where you are if you're close. (At least thats my theory).**

 **edboy: No, the Taken King, and now the Lords of Iron haven't happened yet.**

 **Onto the regular author's note's, here's the next chapter. Hope you all enjoyed it! So Nate here tries to help stop a heist and ends up in a fight with Widowmaker, and well Reaper. In case anyone says he should've stomped them, he would've killed Widow maker, but Reapers appearance and new abilities again caught him off guard. Anyway constrictive criticism is always nice, and there will be a pairing but rest assured romance is not the main point of this fic.**

 **Also he met Tracer! Though he's more annoyed of her than anything. Stay tuned for more! I will try to update at least once a week.**

 **God bless you guys!**

 **-Metal4k**


	3. Chapter 3

**The Darkest Knight**

 **Chapter 3: Noodles and D'Va**

* * *

"So how much fuel do we have?" I ask as I stand with my helmet in hand, Bastion standing behind me beeping like a mad man as my ship sits before us, having just appeared out of thin air.

"Well," Dig says floating around my head, "we have just enough for two trips across the globe."

"Great." I pout, my hand running through my hair.

"Bee bop bo bep we wop!" Bastion says, poking my shoulder.

I raise an eyebrow at him, before Dig finally translates from me, "he's still asking what am I, and he wants to know how we just popped a ship out of thin air."

I roll my eyes. "Well you explain it to him. You're better at all this science stuff."

"Ugh. Fine." Dig sighed before turning back to Bastion and leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I walked up to my ship, a Kestrel Class AX, and patted its side. This thing had been by my side through thick and thin, like Dig, except it didn't talk so much shit. I stepped back and opened the paper map Dig had managed to… borrow for me.

So we were in Rio. That much was true, and according to everything we were really in the twenty first century. Part of me was unconvinced though. It was too strange even for everything I had seen. My theory was we were on another planet, something similarto  
Earth that the Traveler created and tried to… tried to uh… Well I don't know yet. I don't believe I'm not close to home though. I'll find my way home, I know that much.

My attention returned to the map. It wasn't detailed and showed me only the continents. We were in South America. It should be infested by Hive, but its not, so at least there's that upside.

I need to get home. I know that.

But how?

I bit my check. I had initially hoped my ship would allow us to search the solar system for some sort of answer or way home, maybe a Vex time gate, but my ship was basically out of fuel. We'd be stuck in orbit if we tried to leave the earth. So that was  
/out of the question.

We could try making it to Russia. We had enough fuel to get there at least, and if we got there I could check the Cosmodrome for anything familiar. At the very least at least for some Fallen or Hive.

"Thinking of going home?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I'm thinking we should hit the Cosmodrome. Check to see if we can find anything from home."

Dig sighed before floating up to me. "Nate, we're not home. Even I know that."

"Doesn't mean we can't find a way home. We have a job to do." I scowl at him and he shakes his 'head'.

"Well we could try hitting one of the countries on the way there. Some of the Eastern countries weren't hit as hard by the war as the others. Japan, South Korea, Australia, I think were all spared massive destruction. Well, South Korea was spared till  
/a giant machine started wreaking havoc." Dig informed.

"Why would we stop at any of those places?" I asked, glancing back at Bastion who was chatting with the little bird that followed him everywhere. Guess he was satisfied with whatever Dig told him.

"Japan and South Korea are technologically advanced for this time, more so than the other countries. I would avoid South Korea due to the fact a giant Omnic keeps attacking them from the sea, though it hasn't been seen in a few months now."

"Maybe it died." I sighed.

"Maybe."

I look at the map and back at Bastion who's… who's sitting and still talking to the bird. "Hey Bastion, what place has better Tech, Japan or South Korea? Like Time Travel tech?"

"Nate…" Dig stated, his voice holding the lecturing tone a mother would give their child.

"What? It's an honest question." I replied.

The giant robot blinks and gets up before walking over to me, the bird landing on his shoulder and tweeting happily.

"Bee bo bep we, bo wep we woo web. Bo beeep bop bo. We wop bo." He looks down at me then at the sky. I don't know why.

"He says he doesn't know. He's never been outside of South America."

"Well great." I muttered.

"We can just stop by one, or both on our way to the cosmodrome. They're not far out of the way. We'd still have enough fuel for one more trip around the globe." Dig informed me.

"Might be a waste of time." I stated.

"What else do we have to do?" Dig huffed before floating in front of me.

I gawk at him. "We have a war to fight! Remember!"

"Nate, were not home you idiot!" Dig said.

"That's why we need to get back!"

"We can't! I detect no Vex signatures, no anomalies, no light, not even the darkness is here! What the hell are we supposed to do!" Dig yelled, floating higher than my head.

"Figure a way out! Guardians are supposed to protect the Last City, Humanity from the darkness! We can't just leave it all behind"

"Nate, we aren't home! You even tried to stop a heist here so don't tell me you can't help here!"

"I made a promise!" I roared, arc power swirling around me as it reacts to my temper. It singes the grass around me and the birds go silent.

The forest grew quiet and I noticed Bastion take a step back from me.

"Which is why you helped." Dig floats closer. "You can help here too. It may not be the Last City, but until we find a way home… You can still help."

I bite my lip.

My cloaks billows behind me.

"Fine." I managed. "We'll go to the closest one. Bastion, do you wanna come?"

The Machine looked at me with a tilted head. "Bee?"

"He said-"

"I think I can figure that one out." I told Dig. "Yes you, so yay or nay? It'd be good to get out of South America, and I could use a traveling partner aside from shit face here." I threw a thumb at Dig.

"Screw you." The Ghost shot back.

"So," I smiled. "What'd ya say?"

* * *

I stare at the cup of food before me; a cup filled with noodles and what I assumed was squid? To be honest I had no idea what the hell it was, but you know what my stomach was growling and I hadn't eaten in hours.

So with a gulp I iron my resolve and started draining the cup's contents as fast as my hand could move my chopsticks, which was like watching a baby trying to walk for the first time; hilarious because they keep failing.

Hot water splashed onto my hand and I cursed before shaking my hand off and restarting my attempt to eat the damn noodles!

 ** _"Having fun?"_** Dig said in my head.

I rolled my eyes. **"** ** _Kiss my ass! You try this and tell me its easy!"_** I thought back. We normally didn't talk like this because, well, I'm not sure. It was just easier for us to talk face to… face? Or was it more  
/like face to lightbulb?

 ** _"I don't have to eat. I'm a machine remember? And fuck you! I don't have a light bulb! I'm literally light incarnate!"_**

 ** _"Light incarnate? I don't think Light Incarnate whistles every time he sees a girl thats out of his league!"_**

 ** _"Please. You just eye bang them like you did that sniper!"_**

 ** _"What!"_** My face turns to a snarl as I bit into the juicy squid from the noodles. **"** ** _I did not eye bang her! She was trying to kill me!"_**

 ** _"Oh please. You even eye banged the cheerleader."_**

 ** _"She wasn't a cheerleader!"_**

 ** _"So you admit it!"_**

I grit my teeth and shut him out, ignoring whatever jabs he had and instead leaned against the wall of a building that was easily as tall, or taller than the Tower itself. It wasn't as impressive in its grace and the feeling of power, but it was sleeker  
/and had windows almost as high as the eye could see. I stared up it and continued eating my noodles.

Bastion had stayed behind, saying something to the effect of he didn't want to come into the city because humans, beside me, feared him, and he didn't want to bring any bad attention to me.

Fortunately, dressed in jeans and a T shirt with a cap over my head was a lot less conspicuous than running around in my armor so no one paid my any attention.

In fact… I was sort of confused out by all the people… I mean I've studied the history of Earth and I knew that countries like South Korea were densely populated, but I was surprised to see so many people! Granted that's probably because theres hardly  
any left back home. Hell there's hardly anyone left back home.

Like really the amount of people here alone is probably ten times the amount of the Last City!

"Sillyehabnida!"

I jumped and a man slipped past me muttering something underneath his breath.

 ** _"He said excuse me."_**

 ** _"He was in a hurry."_**

 ** _"I would be too if I had to look at you."_**

 ** _"Eat me."_**

I once more blocked out Dig and looked around. The City was massive, sprawling, and wreaked of technological advancement. Touch screen phones were in the hands of almost everyone, machines, Omnium I remember, walked about like everyone else, random machines  
/cleaned the streets, flew through the air with banners, and other humans and machines alike stood of the sides of the main streets doing their best to sell anything to the crowds that walked by.

My eyes took in everything; possible escape routes, vantage points, places to hide, and places someone could hide. I narrowed my eyes at a particular dark alley, the one right next to the giant poster with the cute girl dressed in a spandex suit.

 ** _"No I wasn't looking!"_**

 ** _"Uh huh."_** Dig doesn't believe me.

 _Thunk._

My gaze shot to the street to the left and the crowds slowed.

 _Thunk. Thunk. Thunk._

I felt Last Word appear on my thigh.

"Geugeos-eun geunyeo ibnida! Geim gung-geumhae! !" someone yelled next to my ear and I shot them a glare before pushing off the building and following the crowds gaze towards the street.

Dozens- no hundreds- of people were staring and watching. Plenty were cheering and dozens were screaming.

 ** _"Dig what-"_**

 ** _"They said, and I quote, "Its her! The gaming wonder! D'Va!"_**

I rolled my eyes and bit into another noodle.

 ** _"Who the fuck-"_**

Five massive machines suddenly blasted into the street from beyond the building that blocked my sight, three were black and two were pink. I could see the massive cannons on the front, I could see the gears running on the sides of the legs and the way  
theyhunched over like a beetle. I could see the cockpits, but there were no pilots.

Then I looked up and there they were, standing on top of their machines waving at the crowds as they marched by, a band trailing them along with several floats and cars filled with other people waving to the crowds.

What really caught my eyes though, was their age.

They all looked…. young. I mean I'm not one to talk, I'm only twenty two, but they looked a few years younger than me. At least eighteen or nineteen. Maybe twenty but that's pushing it.

They're all the same age I was when I started.

Guess this worlds not so different after all.

I started studying them. One was tall and broad, he flexed and I could tell he was probably a hardcore athlete before he was drafted. Another was thinner and darker, but just as tall and he seemed quite though he looked genuinely happy. The next three  
weregirls;one was darker skinned and fit enough to be a pro athlete as well, while the next two were light skinned. One was blonde, the other, who stood int he middle of the five, was dark haired and looked…. familiar.

"Huh." I mumbled to myself. The girl in the middle, short with long dark hair and fair skin, she looked so familiar. Maybe it was… it was the skin tight suit!

I looked to the giant movie poster hanging off on the many skyscrapers, then back at her.

So it was her. Hana Song, aka D'Va.

 ** _"Apparently she's a world famous video game player, and the top fighter of her Meka unit. Her code name is D'Va."_** Dig voiced in my head.

"Huh." I again mumbled. "Cute." Then I returned to ever so pleasant yet infuriating noodle cup.

The sounds of cheering and, what sounds like a speech in Korean, continuously filled the air. I just blocked it all out as I focused on the task at hand; eating. Sure I had to break into a few places later to look at what tech this country had but I still  
/needed to eat and I couldn't break in till dark anyway so I could enjoy what little peace I had right?

So thats exactly what I'm doing. Enjoying my peace.

And-

 ** _"Nate, I just got something."_**

"Phat?" I muttered through my own food.

"The skyscraper at your ten."

Dig's tone tore me from my thoughts I my ever keen eyes shot the building in question. I narrowed my gaze and studied its exterior, looking for signs of trouble.

 ** _"Their security guards on the top floor haven't reported in for fifteen minutes. Somethings wrong up there."_**

 ** _"They could be taking a restroom break."_** I thought.

 ** _"Doubt it. The upper half of that building is undergoing a restoration project. The only reason security was up there was for the parade, and now two are missing. Wait. Make that three."_**

My brow furrowed. This was definitely shady as hell. A parade with military personal, celebrated military personnel I might add, and several dozen skyscrapers, one of which is having renovation done on its highest floors with security that just went missing?

Yeah shady.

 ** _"All right. We're going up there."_**

I tossed my mostly empty noodle cup into a trash can and made my way into the crowd, slipping past large and small people alike with ease. Having fought with the Hive in close quarters, making my way through a crowd was easy, like almos-

 _Thump!_

"Ow!" I growled as some tall woman heel dug into my foot. She paid me no attention and pushed me aside before I could say anything more.

 ** _"What a bitch."_** Dig laughed.

I ignored his comment and continued on my way. Luckily the sketchy skyscraper was on my side of the street, otherwise it'd be almost impossible to cross the street without being seen. It's not like I could just teleport my armor on right here. Gotta try  
andkeep a low profile.

After a few more minutes of navigating I made it to the twin glass doors that lead into the massive building. It was at least two hundred stories high and the people walking out looked like they owned half of Wall Street. I shook my head at a particularly  
large man with two beautiful women accompanying him.

Money is power. Well at least people thought it was.

I pushed the doors open and after locating the restroom slipped inside.

Something I had learned, that most of early humanity had gotten wrong is that, money isn't power.

I got into a stall, and closed the door, my armor instantly forming around my, and my cape rolling down to it's full length. I clenched my fist as Arc energy swirled around it.

What I learned after years of fighting, is that money, knowledge, or strength isn't power. Power is power.

The air shimmered as I faded from the visible spectrum and slipped the door open.

"Ah!" An older man yelled as the stall seemingly opened on its own. He trembled and sprained for the door, slipping and hitting his head on the hand dryer and falling on his back.

"Is he-"

"He's just unconscious. He'll wake up fine and with nothing more than a headache." Dig said into my ear. It was a lot better than hearing him in my head. Hearing someone else in your head just feel's so…. intrusive.

I shrugged and quickly slipped out of the restroom and sprinted through the foyer right to where Dig had set up a waypoint, which was the door to the stairs. I pushed the door open and slipped inside a moment before my camouflage gave out.

Close.

I looked up.

"How many stairs do I have to climb?"

"You don't wanna know…"

* * *

"One thousand six hundred and ninety nine…. And seven hundred!" Dig cheered as I huffed and swallowed a gallon of air before leaning against the nearest wall with one hand on my hip.

Even with blink and boosters, climbing up one hundred and seventy stories is annoying as shit.

I focused and looked at the door, which was wrapped in tape saying 'construction workers only.' without a second glance I kicked the door open, Last Word raised, and scanned the immediate area as I walked in.

Nothing but boxes, half built walls, and construction equipment was around. I kept my eyes peeled and started my way through the nearest hall, my boots making only the slightest thump on the ground as I went.

The air was still, and nothing stirred but the plastic sheets that wrapped around certain walls.

I checked room after room, yet found nothing, not even the dust had been disturbed.

"Dig, are you sure you heard the security reports right?"

"Very. I hacked their system and found half their cameras knocked out. Too many to be a coincidence, heck they're even considering locking down the building completely."

"Then why haven't they?" I asked, more to myself than to Dig.

I continued on, perplexed by the lack of… well anything suspicious. If Dig was right, which I was sure he was, then someone should be here.

I stepped over a pile of rebar and peeked into a room. It was dust filled, and only had a single lonely desk at the back.

With a shake of my head I took a few more steps. I looked around, gazing down the hall till I saw another large pair of doors. One door was slightly ajar, and I made way to it, careful not to disturb the dust anymore than I had.

I inspected the door with a critical gaze before I deemed it safe and slowly pulled it open.

There was a large office space on the other side, cubicles everywhere and massive twenty foot tall windows at what I guessed was the end of the floor.

My eyes went wide.

At the windows was someone dressed in black.

It wasn't the man from Rio though- I would remember that bone mask anywhere.

This person was dressed in cargo pants, a black shirt, and had a ski mask over their head. Aside from that, they had what I guessed was a fifty caliber sniper rifle in their hands, and if I had to guess they were positioned to blow someones head off.

"Hey low life!" I roared, vaulting over the nearest cubicle and aiming my weapon at their head.

 _Bang!_

The person jerked, and I swore I heard a curse before they spun to face me. They wore googles, tinted though so I couldn't see their eyes. Maybe it was the blue chick.

I grit my teeth. "So before this gets ugly, how about we-"

 _Bang!_

My head snapped to the side just as a bullet ripped apart the wall somewhere behind me and left a trial of smoke from where it had almost decapitated me. I had no idea if I could take a 50 Cal. but I didn't want to find out.

I fired twice, but each shot missed as the assassin dove behind the furthest cubicle.

Dig read my mind and I drew felt a grenade ready itself on my leg, before unleashing a rain of high caliber rounds into the cubicle I knew the assassin was behind and the surrounding ones.

The clip clicked and I reloaded as chunks of the cubicles fell to the floor.

I blinked forward, landed, then rolled to where I was infant of the cubicle where the assassin had hid.

Last Word raised, I blinked as I saw no body riddled with bullet holes behind the destroyed cubicle. My eyes instinctively went up to my motion tracker and I dove to the side just as bullets from a pistol ripped the air a new one where I had just been.

I rolled, using the momentum to move forward and spin onto my knees, and fired Last Word.

 _Thunk!_

The bullet shattered the Assassins knee cap and they roared in pain, low and deep, which told me it was a man so the blue chick was out of the question.

He fell to the floor, pistol clattering to the ground as blood gushed from his knee.

I twirled my hand cannon before standing and walking over to him, drawing my knife as I placed the other weapon on my thigh.

"It seems like our friend here just killed one of those star Meka pilots down there. The police are on their way." Dig told me.

I nodded. This man had just killed a pilot, a person who had fought for his safety. Someone who looked like they had just started to enjoy life, a child still in my eyes.

I thought of the girl- Hana.

She looked the youngest. I bet she hadn't even started to really know what life was yet.

And for it, for any of them to just be snuffed out?

No. I scowled. There had to be a purpose. So I had to find out what that was. I had to.

So I kneeled down in front of him, jamming my finger into the open wound that used to be his knee.

"Fuck!" He choked, thrashing backward before throwing a weak jab at me. I blocked it and slammed my knife into his other leg.

He roared in pain and I shook my head. "All right, why'd you attack them? They're military, and haven't done anything to you. If I'm right they're the Meka unit that's kept that giant machine in the ocean from destroying everything here, so why kill one  
ofthem?"

I pressed down on the knife.

I ignored his cries.

"Why?"

"Haha…" The man coughed. "You'll far too late too stop us."

I ripped my blade from his good leg, and jammed it into the chunk of flesh that was holding his bad leg together. He screamed and I twisted the blade.

"Who's we?"

"Nate we've got incoming!"

I turned just as a massive blob of pink slammed into the windows, shattering them on impact. Glass flew everywhere and I raised my arm to instinctively block the shards from hitting me. They bounced off, and I looked up to the… Meka unit… with Hana Song  
/in the pilot's seat…

"Dangsin." She said.

I tilted my head at her. "What?"

"You." She hissed, her eyes narrowing inside the glass cockpit as she easily switched to english.

I blinked. "Ok hold on-"

 _Click._

There was a flash of light and I suddenly flew backwards, slamming into a wall and cracking it before falling to my knees. I shook my head as debris settled all around and looked to my hostage.

There was nothing but flames, blood, and hunks of meat everywhere.

He blew himself up!

"What the hell…" I mumbled, pushing myself to my feet. I kicked a chunk of cubicle away from me and turned to see two giant cannons still pointed at me.

I looked up at Hana- aka D'Va- and saw her still glaring at me.

"Okay this looks really bad, but I swear-"

"Why did you kill Claire?" Her voice was low. I'd heard voices like that before and I knew how screwed I was.

"I didn't." I raised my hands, taking a step to my right and putting part of me behind one of the still standing cubicles.

"You tortured that man." She hissed. "Why should I believe you?"

"Because he shot her, and I was trying to find out why." I started to tense. She wasn't believing me.

"You're lying." Her machine took a step forward.

"No I'm not."

Dig then added, "Nate, I would run."

"Hana, I get-"

She growled and her machine stood taller. "Don't act like you know me."

"Ok I get it." I swallowed. "Just hear me out."

"I saw the video's of you in Rio." She started, and I noticed the trails of tears down her cheeks. She had been crying. "You're a criminal."

 _Click._

"Fuck." I dove to the side and canon fire shredded the cubicle to ribbons. I drew Last Word and let off two shots, which bounced off the metal armor, then I flipped and smoke filled the room.

Still canon fire trailed after me and I knew she had to have thermals in that damn machine to be able to see me.

I rolled to my feet once more, using a cubicle as cover and opened fired. Some bullets hit, others ricocheted, but overall they did almost nothing. I ducked once more as canon fire got to me and I readied the grenade.

I dove again, into the open, and tossed the explosive at the machine. It detonated and arc ripped around the machine. Sparks blew out from the joints and I heard Hana growl something under her breath.

Once more I rolled to my left and as I stood Last Word barked off several shots. Again they bounced off, but one hit a joint in her mech's leg.

There was a whirring sound and I heard her curse again only to continue firing at me. This time I had no cover and my shields took the brunt of the canon fire. The shots were powerful and threw me backward, into and over a cubicle. Fortunately the cubicle  
/took the next shots which allowed me to roll away from her attack and behind another cubicle.

I checked my shields; half strength.

Note to self, don't let her hit you.

I got up once more to open fire on her legs-

 _Thunk!_

Only for the hulking mass of her mech to charge right into me. It hit me and I swear the arms of the mech tried to bear hug me as it pushed me.

The mechs chargecarried me with it, first through a wall which hurt, then through another wall, some more desks where papers flew everywhere and splintered wood bounced off us, till finally I painfully managed to glance back and saw windows.

Shit. She was going to launch me off the building!

Last Word was still in my hand so I adjusted my grip and fired everything the canon had into the mech's gut.

I looked back once more and the window was five feet away.

The mech jerked to a stop and I gasped as I was thrown forward. My back hit the windows first but they instantly broke from the force and the air took me as I was thrown from the skyscraper, from almost two thousand feet in the air.

There was hardly any sound other than that of the air screaming by me. I managed to spin myself around and cursed as I saw the streets below rushing up at me.

I looked for anything, any ledge I could boost myself towards. Blink and my boost alone couldn't save me from a fall this high, I'd hit terminal velocity and I don't know when I'd need to activate them to counter it.

"Nate, you have about sixty seconds till you hit the ground and go splat."

I once again ignored Dig and searched the entire surrounding area. There were too many skyscrapers, no short buildings whose roof I could redirect my fall to. Guess I'll have to try my luck with grabbing the edge of a skyscraper.

Great.

My jaw clenched, my decision made, and I activated my boosters and shot myself towards the nearest skyscraper, granted it wasn't the one I had fell from since that one was basically made of glass.

The air smacked and tossed me, but a second kick from my booster readjusted my course and kept me in line with the skyscraper I chose. I continued falling at an angle-

"Forty."

I used another boost, my last one before it had to recharge, and reached out for the side of the building.

I could almost feel the touch of concrete as I reached, and in a second I would have-

"Behind you!"

I looked back, my hands brushing the building, and saw D'Va, racing right down at me. She was only feet from me, once again charging me, but this time in mid-air.

"What the shit!" I yelled.

She hit me again, and this time we both raced down towards the street.

"Twenty."

Fuck this. I grabbed my blade and Arc power swirled around me, engulfing my entire body. I saw Hana's eyes go wide and I drove my blade into the center of her cockpit. It shattered the cockpit and the mech suddenly slowed, moving so its feet could take  
/the brunt of the fall.

I pulled a second knife and drove it higher, this time it sunk into the armored plating of her mech and I pulled myself up.

"Five."

I pulled my legs up, kneeling on its head, and kicked off using the power of Arc too launch myself into the air just as the mech hit the ground.

Metallic groans filled the air and the sound of people screaming accompanied it.

I fell down and with a roar slammed my blade into the head of the mech, pouring my Arc energy into it. Electricity and light flickered all around the mech and a wave blasted outward as the last of my power poured out.

A groan filled the air and I flipped off the mech before it collapsed forward and smoke billowed out from the back.

I coughed as I landed and shook my head. Using that much Arc power was hard on the body. Sure I could come back to life but using it for too long could still overwhelm me.

Suddenly the back of the mech popped open and Hana flipped out, firing a pistol at me as she went.

I immediately drew Last Word and dove to the side as I fired.

The civilians around us screamed and instantly broke off, scattering to the buildings and taking cover behind cars or anything they could find.

Several shots of her pistol hit me, but my shields held well, and my shots missed. Of course I had intended to miss, I wasn't trying to kill her, but my shots scared her enough to push her into cover behind her downed mech.

I snuck a glance at a couple hiding behind a car, and I knew I had to end this before anyone innocent got hurt.

I blinked forward and landed next to the mech, then spun around it.

Hana was there and she fired at me point blank, but I ducked and drove my elbow into her gut. She grunted and I spun around her, simultaneously drawing my knife, then wrapped an arm around her throat and placed my knife at its base.

She froze but her look of disgust never left.

"Drop the gun." I ordered. She compiled and it clattered to the floor.

"Good." I loosened my hold just enough so she wouldn't choke. "Now, can we talk or are you still gonna try to kill me for no reason?"

Before she could respond the sound of thrusters filled the air and I looked up just as three more mechs landed in a triangle around us, each of them aiming their canons at me.

Now her team was here. Great.

"Geunyeoui gaja , alae seoissda."

D'Va spoke up, "he speaks english."

I nodded.

"Let her go and stand down." Another one of them then ordered.

I rolled my eyes. This day just sucked.

"Will you let me go?" I asked with a laugh.

"No."

"Well then it seems we're at an impasse." I replied pressing my knife against Hana's neck. I really didn't want to hurt her, but geez she was stubborn, and so were her friends.

One of the mech's took a step forward, "let her go, lay down your weapons, and I promise you'll be treated well."

"Uh huh." I nodded. "Well, seeing as I'm surrounded and you guys could probably rip me to shreds with those canons, I feel like dropping my weapons is a bad idea."

"We will not harm you." The one speaking reassured.

I bit my lip. What choice did I really have? I could use golden gun and knock out two of the mechs, but I'd be tired as shit and would still have the third and Hana here to worry about. Raze Lighter could block the shots for me but it couldn't last forever  
andthey were too far for me to try and lunge at them.

Still, I highly doubt they would just let me go, especially if Hana's actions were anything to go off of.

So what to do?

If I-

Hana back stepped onto my foot, I jerked, and she slipped through my hold before turning and jamming her fist into my chin. It was good technique but she lacked the strength to back it up, I raised my arm and brought it down on her elbow before grabbing  
/it and yanking her towards me. My knee slammed into her gut, and suddenly Last Word was pointed at my face-

It was a knight. It was dark. I heard screams. I saw the blood on my hands.

I roared and knocked the hand canon away before driving my fist in the knight's face, before pulling my blade and sinking it into soft…. soft flesh….

I went wide eyed as my vision returnedto normal. D'Va, Hana Song, gasped, my blading protruding from her rib's, right under her breast. I could feel her tremble, I could feel her step forward and her weight fell on me.

Then the red started to flow.

Then the canons started firing.

"Nate!"

I acted and wrapped my body around hers, letting my shields and armor tank all three of the other mechs canon fire so Hana didn't have too. Still her body jerked several times as a few shots made it past me and into her.

I heard cracks, my shields started to blare their alarm as they dropped.

I thought I was better.

I….

I….

"Nate! Sparrow is ready! If you don't get her treated right now she'll die!"

My mind spun and instantly my sparrow, Time Breaker, appeared in front of me. I tightened one arm around Hana and boosted right to my sparrow.

My shields broke and I felt pain in my back as one round of canon fire made it past my armor.

I grabbed one handle, and in one swift motion, pulled myself on with Hana tightly pulled against my chest and just over my lap.

The engines instantly powered up and my sparrow shot down the street.

Canon fire raced after me, but with both feet now on the pedals I blasted off into the main street where the parade had taken place.

I drifted and turned down another major street even as police sirens filled the air and civilians screamed and pointed at me.

They became blurs as I pushed the sparrow to one hundred twenty kilometers an hour.

"Nate, I've got the ship dropping in."

"Why?" I asked, my voice shaking as I spoke.

"I scanned her. Several tears in her internal organs, collapsed lung, fractured ribs, ruptured kidney, and internal bleeding. No hospital here can help her, but we have the equipment on the ship to at least stabilize her."

I nodded. "Okay."

No reply came and I kept going.

Police sirens wailed behind me and I glanced back. They were all racing after me, but I kept going. I weaved and drifted through traffic, turning here and there for what seemed like an eternity but I knew was only a minute at most.

Even through my gauntlets I could feel the warmth of blood.

I clenched my teeth.

What happened back there?

How did I-

"Nate, ships on the next right. Ramp is lowered, all you have to do is boost in." Dig informed me.

I pushed the throttle even harder, and the all too familiar wailing of the engine beginning to overheat filed my ears. I hit the brake and turned to my right, letting the sparrow skid over the asphalt before hitting the boost.

My ship was there, floating a foot or two above the street, cars veering around it, and a moment later I hit the brakes and my sparrow rocketed inside, slowing just before I hit the wall that separated the miniature hangar from the rest of the ship. Bastion  
/stood off to the side of the hangar, beeping adamantly about God know's what.

The ramp instantly started to raise up, and I jumped off the sparrow when the ship jerked slightly and announced its ascent into the skies.

"Dig, take us into low orbit. We don't want any undated company."

I hefted D'Va up and carried her bridal style as I ran into through the sliding doors and into the rest of my ship, ignoring Bastion's call. There was the main room, then the cockpit, and to my right was the bedroom. The main room though had two couches,  
asmall screen built into the wall, a weapons rack and a small table meant for four. I raised her up and placed her onto the table.

"Dig, get me everything form the med-kit."

Instantly gauze, advanced gels for stitching skin back together, anti-coagulants, wraps, needles, antiseptic and an IV line appeared.

I grabbed my knife from my thigh.

"Where's the most damage?"

"Lower left side under her heart. You're blade plus the rounds that hit her caused a lot of damage." Dig appeared next to me in a shower of light.

I huffed out a breath and grabbed the spandex suit, before pushing my knife into it and prying the front half open.

Dried and fresh blood coated her chest and her bra was a deep red now. I could see the openings in her flesh and the raspy movements of her chest as she tried to breath. I grabbed the antiseptic.

It wasn't my first surgery, not even close, but I hadn't done one since…. since…

"Dig."

"Do it. I'll guide you."

I nodded.

"Here we go."

* * *

 **A/N So here it is! the next chapter! Sorry for the wait but I've had a busy couple of weeks, and this chapter was longer so it was hard trying to get everything out in time. Anyway, Nate meets D'Vabut well PTSD is a thing even for Guardians, and now her life hangs on a thread.**

 **(edit: I just noticed as of now, the 1st of July, that the site doesn't accept D'Va's actual name. Hence why its misspelled. Sorry to anyone who read this before and there was a name missing at places)**

 **banditobane: You'll have to wait and see who Nate's romance will be. And do you mean like male or female? Or human or Awoken? Well he's a dude, and he's human. It's shown when I described his pale skin and dark hair, but its kinda easy to miss so I see where the confusion comes from. Also he's a hunter.**

 **GJAM: Guardians are basically immortal, especially in a world where darkness is absent, but I don't think dying is a fun thing so generally Nate is going to avoid it as best he can.**

 **helkil: He will protect humanity at all costs, hence why he just jumps into situations to help. However, the fear of death is instinct and after years of fighting the darkness and thinking "is this the time I really die?", he suddenly doesn't have too anymore, but its programmed into him to fear death. Again I don't think death is fun so he;s ogling to avoid it.**

 **The Keyrim: Good advice. Thanks!**

 **Novawolf13: Well, for me, in destiny I think of it as every class can use every subclass but they have a dominant one, so for Nate I;d say he's best at being a baldedancer, but he likes to dabble in the other two because they each have their uses.**

 **SilverstormXD: He does, but none of, what are called his, super powers. He does here briefly when fighting 's mech though.**

 **Back to the main A/N, in case anyone wonders what happened to Nate at the end, he panicked. He was in a high stress environment and well you'll learn why when a pistol was drawn to his face why he freaked. He's not invincible.**

 **Most chapters will have two separate POV's, this is an exception.**

 **Anyway hope you enjoyed! God bless! Review please!**

 **-Metal4k**


	4. Chapter 4

**The Darkest Knight**

 **Chapter 4: The Cloak**

* * *

My teeth sank into my lower lip, and I pulled the last stitch through the skin on my lower ribs. I sighed and, holding the last excess of the string in one hand, I used my free hand to grab my knife and cut it off.

"So exactly how much Sealing-Gel do we have left?" I moved my right side and twirled my arm once to ensure the stitches wouldn't pop out. They pulled, and I felt it, but they stayed in my side.

Dig floated next to me, lowering to inspect my handiwork before replying, "not much. Six bags in total. Enough for another surgery, but thats all. We need to be careful, we're low on almost everything else as well, medically speaking."

I huffed. "Thank the Traveler for being to able to heal. What about ammo? I haven't checked since we got here."

There was a moment of silence and Dig floated back up to eye level as I slid off the table in the main room and walked over to the couch. Cabinets lined the walls, a small fridge sat in the corner next to my weapons rack, and my bottle of water sat on  
the table next to where I had just been. I slid a white shirt on before looking at the leather jacket draped over the back of the couch.

"Well, if my countings right, which it is, we have six hundred and thirty four rounds for Last Word and Rapier. Two hundred and one, for your shotgun and sniper. And twenty for the big guy."

"That's pretty low." I frowned, grabbing the black jacket from the couch and wrapping it around me.

"Yeah. We need to conserve ammo. I have no idea if I'll be able to forge anymore from anything on this planet. Raze Lighter can recharge itself but I'd rather us not be relying on a sword for every fight."

I nodded. "Agreed."

I turned to the cockpit and moved inside, sitting in the only chair and staring out the window to the dark blue sky above and the green earth below. I wondered how high we really were. I knew it was considered low orbit but what was the exact height?  
Could I survive a fall?

"I could revive you if you didn't." Dig said floating up to me once more, as he too stared out the window.

"True."

"And since technically there's no darkness here, I could just keep reviving you."

I blinked. I hadn't even thought of that! I was so used to it…. to the Darkness always being there, always being present anywhere I went and the fear of death, of being overwhelmed by darkness so that I would one day not come back…

But the darkness wasn't here. Which meant I couldn't die. Ever.

Fuck.

Yes.

"Dying hurts." Dig warned.

I glared at him and crossed my arms together. "I know that! You don't have to remind me…" I could never forget how much dying hurt.

"Anyway," I started turning back to the glass and kicking my feet up to rest on the dashboard of the cockpit, "have you managed to find out anything about the shooter?"

"No, I didn't have time to scan him, and from the video replay I can't see anything significant that would indicate who he is or who he worked for." Dig floated up next to me, hovering as he too looked out to the sky.

"Did you find anything of use?"

"Yeah but it might make you feel good, or feel like shit."

I waved a hand at him. "Just tell me."

"All right." Dig passed me and light illuminated the cockpit as a hologram of a city, or part of a city, popped up in front of us. "From the time you spent down watching the parade, your little scuffle with D'va and the assassin, and from the security  
cameras I accessed to see who he shot, I was able to build a very rough 3D image of the immediate area."

My eyes squinted and I was able to make out a rough outline of the streets where the parade had been. Some of the buildings looked familiar too.

Suddenly a blue dot appeared in one of the buildings. Then a red dot appeared at what I guessed was several floors above the blue.

"Let me guess I'm the blue and the assassin's the red."

"Yup." Dig then grew quiet as five more dots appeared, the one in the middle green and the other four white. they were down on the street below and I already knew who they represented.

"So," Dig started, "if you look at the assassin's height, from the moment we first saw him and the angle his rifle was set at, I was able to pinpoint his shot. Well at least guess where his shot was initially aimed."

A line appeared between the red dot and the green dot.

"Wait but isn't that-"

"Ms. Song? Yes, she was the target." Dig floated higher for some reason. "Apparently his shot was lined up with her but when you entered the room and started yelling you interrupted it."

I saw my blue dot reach the same floor as the red and start approaching. Why was Hana the target?

He then continued, "he was obviously surprised to see us, so he miss fired and hit the person on her right." I saw the white dot directly next to D'va fade from existence.

"Why would he be surprised though?" I asked. "He took out several security guards and expected the buildings staff to just ignore it?"

"I don't know." Dig admitted. "From the way he responded to us, his ability to evade you for a few moments, and his willingness to off himself, he seemed professional. Or at least knew what he was doing."

"Yet he was surprised that someone investigated the area he was in?" I narrowed my eyes. "Something about that's not right."

"Of course he could've been just genuinely surprised to see us so soon. Maybe he thought he had more time to fire and make an escape before more security showed up." Dig added.

I shook my head. "Maybe. but what other reason could he think he would be left alone?"

"Most likely there was an accomplice."

"You think someone in the building helped him?"

"It's possible, or there was another assassin in the building offing the security guards while he set up the shot."

I sighed and leaned back in my chair. "Maybe. A lot of this just seems off. What would someone gain from assassinating a hero? A young girl no less."

"Then there's the fact she only fought in the war against the omniums." Dig replied.

Another shake of my head and I said, "so what would a human gain from killing her?"

"No idea. Maybe they could make her a martyr."

"Only if she was killed by an omnium. It's possible they set one up to take the fall if she did die."

Dig was silent for a moment and the hologram died. "It's possible, but again what would someone gain from killing her?"

"Starting a war."

We grew quiet, our minds running through the possibilities. What could someone accomplish from killing Hana? What was the purpose? Was starting a war really on this man's agenda?

You're far too late to stop us… That's what he said.

But who was he talking about?

"You and me both both wonder that." Dig added. I nodded.

"How's she doing?" I asked.

"Alive still, but theres not much else either of us can do. If she pulls through these next couple of days then I'd garner she's going to live.

"Good. Bastion?"

"Still in the hangar wondering what the hell happened."

I nodded once more then said, "well I guess I should explain. Don't want him freaking out. Also have you made that translator yet?"

"Almost. Been busy saving a girl's life." Dig chided.

"True." I replied before getting out of my seat and stretching once more. I glance at the main room and over to the weapons locker. "Well, what should we do?"

"We could fix your armor for starters."

* * *

Day's passed. Three to be exact.

In that time I fully repaired my armor and Dig made the damn translator. We also tried to find out more on the shooter and went over the possible reason of someone trying to kill Hana Song and what they could gain from that. Again, we only came to the  
same conclusions; either the shooter was a sociopath, or someone was trying to start a new war or wave of hatred against the Omnium's.

And worse still, Ms. Song was sleeping in my room, still recovering. She hadn't woken up in thee days and I was starting to worry. She made in through the first night where she almost died several times on me and I expected her to wake up after that but  
she still had yet to wake.

"Maybe we should take her to a hospital." I stated as I flipped my knife from my right to my left hand.

"If you want. She seems stable enough now that they could theoretically take care of her, but we both know how dangerous it would be putting her in a hospital. She's comatose and someone wants her dead." Dig replied as I grunted and continued flipping  
my knife form my spot in the cockpit.

"We still need to check the cosmodrome."

"I know, but do you really want to fly there and have Ms. Song wake up and then explain why you kidnapped her? And there's the fact-"

I interrupted with a roll of my eyes. "Please."

"She won't see it like that."

"Dig, we're like ten thousand feet in the air. By your logic I'm pretty sure she'd consider that kidnapping even if I was floating over South Korea's capital."

Dig blinked. "Maybe."

"Exactly, but I know we shouldn't leave her." I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "What if we took her and explain to the authorities our guess about someone trying to kill her? Think they'd be able to protect her?"

"I doubt it." Dig replied. "That Assassin managed to keep with you, even for only a moment. I doubt their forces would be able to stop someone dedicated enough to killing her."

"So what? We tell her she's staying with us while we go to Russia?" I asked.

"I don't know! I don't know everything!"

I shook my head. "We can't just keep her here…. Not unless she wants to stay, and even then if we show up in the Cosmodrome and we find Hive? She won't last five minutes against them without her damn mech."

My friend was quiet.

My eyes traveled back to the glass cockpit and I once more stared out to the dark sky and stars above. I tried to focus on the stars, on Jupiter or Mars, but it was pointless. I couldn't help but think about Hana.

She was young, and I know if I hadn't intervened she wouldn't have a head right now. But her friend was dead, and she was comatose. I felt bad. I'm not sure why, but I did. Maybe it was because I panicked, because… Maybe I failed again. She was innocent,  
at least as far as I knew. But I….

I….

Dig then interrupted my thoughts. "Well, aside from our wonderful talk, I'd like to inform you our guest has woken up."

"Great." I sighed and leaned my head back. Our last interaction hadn't gone well and now I had to explain to her where she was and why she was here. "This'll be fun."

With that I got up and made my way into the main room and over to the locked door that was my bedroom. Hopefully she forgot I drove my knife into her chest.

I looked down at my hands. There was still blood crusted in my nails and I had yet to get the scent out of my nose. I was used to it, but I still hated the smell.

She had barley held on these past days, and it was sheer luck that she made it too today alive.

In a flash of light my armor appeared over me.

"Before you go in I would recommend ducking once you do. She apparently took a liking to your lamp and hoped to use it to get into major league baseball."

"Wonderful." I groaned before Dig unlocked the door and it then slid open.

I could see inside, the automatic lights were on and I stepped in. I immediately ducked and the lamp flew over my head, slamming into the wall and shattering.

There was a grunt of pain. I spun and grabbed D'Va's weak punch before it could make contact. She flinched and I saw her favoring her right side, which hadn't been nearly as bad as the left.

Blue eyes surrounded by tired circles defiantly stared back at me and I noticed how short this girl really was.

At five nine I wasn't a giant like Lord Shax, but I wasn't tiny either. I personally thought I was a good height, small enough to get into small spaces in case of a hasty retreat and large enough to go toe to toe with the smaller Hive and Fallen soldiers  
without feeling overwhelmed.

But this girl was short. Like almost a foot shorter than me. I guess I couldn't tell when she was in her mech.

"How tall are you?" I blinked.

Obviously taken aback by the question she stepped back, I released her fist of course, and she looked at me wide eyed. "What?"

"I asked how tall are you." I crossed my arms and leaned against the wall next to the door.

She lunged towards me, but was slow thanks to her still healing wounds. I simply side stepped and gently pushed her back with my hand before retaking my spot. She stumbled, gasping as I guess pain, rocked her body. Her hands wrapped around her sides and  
she hunched over slightly, her knees bending as she visibly tried to fight the pain.

With a shake of my head I spoke up, "don't move too much. You'll rip open your wounds and I don't want have to use the last of the gel on you again."

She glared at me.

"So how tall are you?"

Her eyes flickered to the door.

I sighed. "Don't try it. There's literally no where to go," except ten thousand feet down I thought, "plus I have food. And you're welcome for saving your life."

A glare was my reward and the girl wrapped her arms around herself. "You changed me?"

Heat rushed too my cheeks. "Look you're not the first girl I've seen naked, and besides it was either change you or let you stink up my bedroom in a blood soaked, and torn, one piece spandex suit. Not really comfortable I bet."

She stayed quiet but her hard look never left me. She had guts, I'll give her that.

"You were also out for three days." I added lightly, staring at my hand as if I was inspecting my finger nails. "Honestly I'm surprised you made it. Even with the sealing-gel I expected your heart or lungs to give out."

"What do you mean?" She asked.

I motioned to the small couch inside my room. She ignored my request and I rolled my eyes before replying. "Sealing-Gel. Its advanced medical gel, obviously, that basically seals minor lacerations back together. In enough amounts it can seal larger wounds  
like a missing limb but the amount of painkillers it administers would knock even me out. It's useful in a tight spot and it literally saved your life after I fixed and stitched back together your lung, and fixed up your ribs."

She was quiet and stared at me like I had grown a third head.

"I saved your life." I glared at her now, annoyed with her damn attitude. "So show some damn gratitude."

That got her to look away, but I could tell her attitude was a long way from being gone.

You know what? This conversation sucks. She can pout and I'm gonna make myself…. well whatever I have in the fridge, cause damn it I'm hungry!

I turned away from Hana and took one step before she spoke.

"Why'd you kill my friend?"

I looked at her with a frown. "I didn't try to kill your friend. I tried to save you five. I just wasn't fast enough."

"Liar." She growled.

"Oh for fuck's sake." I hissed. "Dig! Get in here!"

My little light floated in, his 'eye' wide as he looked at me then Hana. I heard her gasp, but from surprise or pain I wasn't sure and didn't care. I threw a thumb at Dig. "This is Dig. He's basically a drone of mine. He recored the whole fight. Show  
her."

My Ghost, well shrugged, and lightglittered form his eye and a holographic video popped to life in front of me. It was the feed from my helmet, whatever my visor had seen, Dig always recored. The video played back and I leaned back against the wall  
as the scene played out.

I saw her face change only for a second to one of surprise when she saw me interrogating the shooter, but it changed back to the hard look when she saw me looking.

A huff escaped my lips, though it was almost inaudible.

What is her problem…

She hates me without any reason. Well granted, I guess she has a reason considering she thinks I killed her friend.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I need to relax and listen.

Katy always told me to listen more. To relax more.

But then I hear the screams… I hear her and-

"So what?"

I open my eyes and see Hana standing there, her arms now crossed as she lightly glared at me. At least it wasn't the full blown hateful gaze from before.

"I didn't kill your friend." I restated. "I was trying to stop him like I said."

She grew quiet and looked down at the floor. "What happened to me?"

I rubbed my head. "You don't remember?"

"No… I…." She hesitated then completely went silent.

"Shock." Dig stated and her eyes shot up to him in fear.

She gasped. "It talks!"

"Yes he does, but what don't you remember? Thats more important than the floating lightbulb." I stated, trying to regain her attention.

She stared at Dig before swallowing hard and turning to me. Her arms wrapped around her tighter and I saw her grimace. "After you pulled your knife to my throat… I don't remember…."

So she forgot the fact her friends fired on me and subsequently hit her. And she forgot I stabbed her. Great. How do you tell someone you stabbed them? I'd never… Ok I have purposefully stabbed someone before, but not to where they didn't remember and  
all because of a serious misunderstanding!

I pursed my lips for a moment then replied. "I… sort of stabbed you… It was reflex when you tried to shoot me with my own gun. Your friends I think, thought I killed you then opened fire. I tried to cover you but some of their rounds hit."

Hana's lips turned to a growl. "Then why am I here?"

"Because I saw how hurt you were. I never wanted to actually harm you, if I did I would've finish the snipers job." I crossed my arms.

Her eyebrows shot up and her eyes went wide. "What do you mean finish the job?"

"You were the target. Found out not too long ago myself."

"How do you know?"

"Calculated his initial trajectory and where you and your friend were. If I hadn't surprised him then his shot would've killed you instead." I explained and Dig, I think, nodded.

"What?" She yelled, her teeth suddenly closing and her eyes slamming shut. Her hands gripped her side and she stumbled forward. I immediately knew she had overexerted herself, and lunged forward just in time to catch her before she hit the floor.

I gently helped her back up. "You ok?"

She nodded lightly and pushed me off. I stepped back.

"Take me to a hospital."

I bit my cheek. "Are you sure? Someone tried to kill you and since you're not dead…" I left the threat unsaid.

"I'm not staying here." She immediately snapped.

I raised my hands. "I didn't say anything about staying here, though I have to admit, staying here is probably your safest bet."

She looked around. "Where is here?"

"Well this is kind of my bedroom." I motioned to the room. "And this is kind of like my… secret lair. Super secure, top of the line security and all…"

And theres the fact we're currently low orbit over the earth, so anyone who tried to get in would have to fly up into orbit and try to board a moving ship, but she didn't need to know that.

"Why should I stay here? My friends need to know I'm okay." D'Va stated, her head lowering as she slowly moved to the couch, grimacing as she sat down.

I followed her, but stayed standing. "Staying here is the safest bet you have, but I need to head to Russia. There's… something I need to find."

"I'm not going to Russia." She replied.

"Well it seems we've reached an impasse."

"Seems like it." She said. Suddenly she shivered, and coughed. I walked over to my bed and yanked the comforter off before going back and wrapping it over her shoulders. She tensed up, but let me finish and I stepped away as she pulled the blanket tighter  
around her.

"If you need anything, let me know. We'll talk more tomorrow about taking you to a hospital or about staying here. Get some rest." I sighed and turned away. She didn't reply and the doors to my room slid shut as I left, Dig following right behind me.

I took my helmet off and slid it under my arm. "Where should we drop her off?"

"What?" Dig floated in front of me. "I thought you were going to wait and see-"

"We need to go to Russia. We need to see whats there and what isn't. She'll be fine for a few days." I walked to the table and my armor disappeared.

"Nate, she needs someone to watch out for her while she's so weak! She could barely stand! If a trained assassin comes after her then what? Is she supposed to cough on them?"

"I know!" I growled. "That's why we'll be back here as fast as possible! She doesn't want to go to Russia with us so I'm not going to kidnap her and force her to come!"

"Going to Russia is a bad idea."

I narrowed my eyes. "Why?"

"There nothing for us there. I checked."

"What do you mean you checked?"

Dig sighed. "I hacked the satellite systems of South Korea and bounced off them till I managed to get into the surveillance and communications systems of the Cosmodrome. There's nothing there about the Last City, or the Hive, or the Traveler. Nothing,  
not a peep. As far as the worlds concerned, none of them exist."

I blinked. "When did you do this?"

"Last night. I verified the information over and over, heck I'm still running a sixth verification right now. I wanted this last one complete before I told you but…" The Ghost twirled.

"So-"

"There's nothing there Nate. I'm sorry."

I sat down, my hands griping the table in front of me. "So… this is Earth?"

"Yes."

"But there's no Tower or City?"

"No…"

I sighed and closed my eyes. We really weren't on my Earth. Sure everything pointed at it, and part of me accepted it the moment I saw Rio, but… A part of me still hoped beyond hope, that the Tower was still there. That my fellow Guardians were still  
there.

Alas, I was alone.

Truly alone.

"So what're we gonna do?"

I wasn't sure. What was I gonna do?

Thoughts filled my head, of Rio, of Crota, of Atheon. I remembered smiling faces of Guardians, of a Warlock and a Titan. A massive man who's personality was more humble than a monk and a delicate looking woman who's features betrayed her ferocity and  
power.

I remembered the promise.

Protect them all…

"Nate?"

"Dig…"

My friend floated around me in a circle. "Humanity is here too, Nate. Thriving, but on the brink of war. We could help here, make a real difference."

Was he right?

Protect them all…

Of course he was. My eyes opened and turned to the floating machine besides me. I smiled, I wasn't completely alone. "Well, I did make a promise"

He laughed. "Then lets kick some ass."

I nodded. "Lets find out who tried to kill Hana. Bring us out of orbit, we're gonna transmit down."

"Where?"

"Find me the nearest police station."

* * *

"Look when I said kick some ass I didn't mean the police's ass. I meant the asses of bad guys and assassins, you fucking twat." Dig said into my helmet.

I ignored him and gazed down at the headquarters of the National Police Agency, one of the many police organizations in the country, which was just across the street. I had Dig track down whoever was handling the investigation of D'va's kidnapping and  
the assassination of her friend. Both led us here.

Their building was tall, not as tall as the main skyscrapers down town, but at a little over fifty stories it was still menacing in it's own right. It's walls were made of a peachy stone, but large tinted windows took up most of the surface area. Two  
security guards stood in front of the building and several members of the press were trying to gain entrance. Of course they were denied entry which just made watching them try to squirm their way in all the funnier.

Anyway, we were here to see what leads they had on D'va's case, and on the assassination. I wanted to make sure that we we're in the clear and people wouldn't be looking for us all over the world, but I had sort of dragged her through downtown Seoul while  
driving a floating bike.

Hopefully they had more info on the Assassin.

Now Dig had tried to connect via satellite servers and I had come down to just watch and see if they detected him, but the satellite link wasn't strong enough for him to break into their security and search all their files. He was good, but not infallible.  
So here we were, preparing to break into the headquarters of the dudes who I'm sure are searching for us.

Either way, getting close to their servers would allow Dig to slip through their defense faster and skim the files faster, meaning we wouldn't have to wait several days. We could do it in less than an hour.

"The trail's cold enough as it is." Dig stated, referring to my thoughts.

"Yup, and hopefully we can help Hana out and find her friends killer."

"Well we found him. He's just in several pieces."

"You know what I mean."

Dig didn't reply and I stood up. "Hopefully this catches their attention." I grabbed the next Big Thing off my back and raised it to the sky.

 _Bang! Bang! Bang!_

Three shots and I saw the reporters below dive to the ground and the security guards glancing up at the building I was on. I think one started to speak but I couldn't tell from this height.

I spun around and leapt of the building and into an alley way. My boosters fired off twice to slow my descent and I rolled behind a dumpster.

"Dig?"

"Hold up, accessing cameras and communications… Ok we've got four cops holding the street, weapons aimed at the building and… Oh. Looks like their SWAT teams just left and are infiltrating the building. No one saw you jump, you're good for about five  
minutes."

I nodded and invisibility took me before I sprinted out of my hiding place and through the alley, into the street.

I saw the cops, the stopped cars and the reporters cowering in fear. Without a moments hesitation I leapt over the nearest car and rolled to the next one. My steps we're quiet and no one seemed to notice me. I continued on and jumped over another car  
before sliding up to the curb and climbing up the steps to the building just as my invisibility ran out.

A grenade formed on my hip and instantly detonated, coating me in smoke and invisibility with a beep.

I froze and looked back at the cops holding the street. Two had turned to me and one was already walking towards me even though I was invisible.

My eyes looked to the sliding, glass, double doors. They were shut and if I knew anything I'm sure they we're locked up tight now.

"Dig?"

"Hold on… Ok got it."

An alarm started to blare and the doors suddenly opened. I blinked then suddenly people started flooding form the building, secretaries, officers, and dozens of others.

"Dig, what did you do?"

"Set off a building wide fire alarm."

"Smart." I laughed then as then I leapt into the crowds and literally bull dozed through half of them as I charged into the lobby, before priming a grenade. People toppled to the ground, some cursing and others screaming as an invisible force knocked  
them over.

The shrill screeching of the fire alarm sill filled the air and made the scene all the more chaotic. Officers drew their weapons and I simply tossed the grenade at the ceiling before diving behind the nearest thing I saw- A trash can. Again.

 _Boom!_

An explosion shook the room and I glanced up as the ceiling started to crumble. I knew it would be mostly cosmetic damage but I needed the distraction.

Invisibility once more overtook me and I dashed out of my cover and to the nearest set of stairs. I caught site of officers quickly escorting people out of the building and saw two staring up at the hole in the ceiling with wide, curious eyes.

My feet stopped a foot from the stars and I gently pried the door open just enough for me to slip through. I silently shut the door behind me and my invisibility wore off.

"All right, which way?"

"Server room is only the tenth floor."

I blinked up and grabbed the railing to the second floor and flipped onto the stairs. I leapt up again and blinked a second time to the third, this time landing on the railing before pushing off and using my boosters to propel up not one, but two flights  
of stairs.

I grabbed the railing to the fifth floor and pulled myself up. I continued the process of successive jumps and blinks and boosts, till a few moments later I was at the door for the tenth floor. I drew Last Word from my thigh and pushed it open ever so  
slightly.

It was dark inside except for the yellow lights of the alarm. I waited for a few moments then snuck inside.

With a click the door closed and I silently prowled through the jungle of servers. As far as I could tell no one besides me was here, so I kneeled down next to a server and held out my hand. A few seconds later Dig appeared and immediately turned to the  
server on his right.

A light spewed forth form him as he scanned and infiltrated the system.

I sat back against the server and waited. Part of me expected security to rush up and start shooting at me, and for us to have to fight tooth and nail to get out of here, but as time passed no one came.

The alarm eventually stopped and only the lights of the servers filled the room, but even fifteen minutes later, no one came.

So I sat here twirling my knife in my hand and waiting for Dig to complete his search.

The thoughts of home came back.

I didn't know if I'd ever see the Tower again. I mean, to be honest, I had no idea where I was. The conversation Dig and I had back in the forests outside of Rio came to mind.

Was it possible we had time traveled? I had thought it plausible then, and well, I certainly did now. But in my histories there were no mentions of the omnium, of Overwatch, of D'va, of any of it!

So, if we were back in time, and the history was different…

That meant alternate reality.

Crota and Atheon had the ability to go back and forth between dimensions, but I'd never heard of a Guardian doing it. Was it possible?

Did me and Dig really cross dimensions?

"Done."

"Good." I nodded. "Compile anything you can and have it ready for when we get back to the ship. We'll tell Hana everything we know once we get there."

"Even the fact we're possibly from another dimension?"

I shook my head. "Not that much. She'd probably think we're crazy."

"The best people are."

"I'm not crazy."

"Never said you were."

"I hate you." I scowled.

With that Dig disappeared and I stood back up before heading to the stairs. The trip down was much quicker since I just leapt off the side and slowed my fall with my boost's. I landed gently and looked at the door.

I heard silence then someone behind the door yelled something unintelligible.

"Please tell me there's not an army waiting of my outside or in the lobby?"

"There's not an army, but there at least twenty officers preparing to storm the building." Dig said in my ear.

"Great." I sighed. I drew my weapon and prepped another smoke grenade. I would aim for legs and for arms; shots meant to disable not kill, but only if it came to a firefight.

"Any ideas?"

"Sure. Jump."

I went wide eyed and the door exploded open. I blinked up, and the door sailed into the stairs. Men rushed in right as I landed and I slammed my grenade into the ground.

Smoke bursted forth and filled the entire area with a blinding effect.

I heard curses in the native language and dove out into the lobby, invisibility once more coating me.

Other officers had already started to converge on the doorway that was now seeping out smoke and I barely sidestepped a large cop that almost ran my invisible form over as he rushed to his comrades.

I shook my head and slipped past anyone else before making it back to the outside.

Dozens of reporters and News Vans lined the streets, and a dozen more officers held the reporters at bay as a man in a fancy uniform addressed them.

My invisibility went off and I sprinted forward.

I heard gasps and shouts as people surely recognized me, but I never slowed.

A sixth sense kicked in and my heel landed before turning and I twirled down to my knees. Bullets raced over my head and I looked up at the building I had initially scouted the headquarters from before leaping at it.

I disappeared in light, a a split second later reappeared right next to the ledge of the building. My hand grabbed the ledge before gravity pulled me down and I yanked myself up onto the ledge, standing against the window before leaping off and using  
my booster to raise me up higher. A final blink, and several bullets later, I was on the roof. Thank God this building was significantly shorter.

"Close." I huffed.

"Transmatting in eight…"

"Cool. Just…" I felt something and spun onto my knee aiming at the budding across from me, the one on the other side of the alleyway I had initially jumped into.

I scanned the roof and found nothing, but my gaze narrowed dangerously.

I had felt the eyes on me, and they hadn't felt friendly.

But the moment left as white light washed over me.

* * *

Neon green eyes scanned the building, wondering if the trick of light was truly concealing his target.

Nothing hinted at his target still being present, and only after ten minutes of waiting, did the metallic hand release the sword.

The cyborg stood tall, metal encasing his body and small neon green lights shining softly in the darkness of night.

It didn't matter that the mysterious cloak had disappeared.

He knew what the cloak looked like, his armor, his form, his technique.

He had observed the break in, observed the fight in streets when the cloak kidnapped a young woman- when the cloak had taken the hero, one he had hoped to protect for those he knew would comeknocking.

Still, Genji knew what had to be done.

He knew who the cloak was an enemy, harming the girl proved that.

So he had to find the cloak.

He had to save the girl.

And he had to kill the cloak.

* * *

 **A/N Next chapter is here! A few days late though….**

 **Anyway, not really any action int this chapter, more talking and breaking and entering. D'Va, is weak right now, and not in the best state of mind, but what can you expect after a life threatening injury and watching a friend die right next to you?**

 **Nate… well as you can tell he's dealing with his own issues, but what those are, have yet to be shown. However, in case anyone think him being okay with being a new world was too sudden, the other chapter show how he basically accepted the logical facts, but he still carried a small pit of hope inside him.**

 **Also, Ghost isn't a super super AI, hence why in the game he even has trouble opening and decrypting things in a timely fashion, so I took advantage of that here. In case anyone's wondering, he has access to the internet, so that's how finds most of his info. For more classified stuff he needs more direct access, hence the break in.**

 **Genji is here.**

 **I also took a bit of leeway with Guardians medical supplies. I've never heard or read anything about guardians like stitching themselves up, but I'm sure they do. Of course they have advanced healing, but lets say someone breaks a leg I'm sure the Guardians have medical training and supplies to deal with that. So I decided to go with Sealing-Gel. Self explanatory, but it also won't play to huge a part in the story since theres only a little left.**

 **So that's that! We'll have more of D'Va next chapter, and a sniper of what Tracer and Winston are up too!**

 **Stairman: It's PTSD. He's been through so much crap, a lot of which will be shown as the story goes, that his certain actions trigger him and cause him to remember certain events. Events that haunt even the most staunch and most powerful of guardians. He's surprised when random people attacked him because he's not used to random human attacks. Hive and Fallen? Yes. Humans? Not really.**

 **Guest: He didn't trasmat because it takes like eight seconds to do that. Eight seconds he can't afford in a fight. And thanks for letting me know! I thought Hunters used a mix of tech and arcane power to blink and jump, but I guess not.**

 **Zillafan: Ain't a big enough fan to try it. Sorry man. :/**

 **justreidabook: Yup. Hence why here Nate says Fuck yeah to basically being immortal. Still, he can be captured and tortured if he screwed up enough, plus I doubt dying's a fun experience so naturally he'll try to avoid it.**

 **War Cry's: Thanks! And Mercy will be in the fic, just not yet.**

 **Well thats all for now folks. God bless you guys! Please review! Till next time.**

 **-Metal4k**


	5. Chapter 5

**The Darkest Knight**

 **Part I: The reforming of Overwatch**

 **Chapter 5: Die.**

* * *

 _Fire._

 _Green unending fire._

 _"Move Nate!"_

 _Someone slammed into me. The form of someone I knew._

 _Kathy…_

 _Her hand cannon fired away from us. Roars and screams filled my ears._

 _The sky was dark._

 _The air was cold_

 _Darkness swirled all around._

 _A sword, massive and powerful hung in the air. Its weirder, faded but powerful, stood before me. Twenty feet tall, with eyes filled with hate._

 _"Nate!"_

 _Then it was dark._

 _Not like the night, or even like the darkness that consumed the pit. This was darker. This was colder._

 _Two eye's glowed in the vast shadow. Two eyes of fire, and malice._

 _"Even the light, must fade."_

 _I cringed, pain flooding all my sense. Orange. Purple. Red. Yellow. Ever color imaginable filled my vision. The world spun, my breath caught. I didn't know what was happening, but I felt terror, Sheer terror that paled everything I'd ever faced before._

 _"Nate!"_

— my eyes shot open, and cold air filled my lungs.

I shot up straight, Last Word, instantly in my hand as I swept the main room. It was empty, save for Dig floating in front of me. He twirled his parts once.

"That was a quick nap." He chided.

I licked my lips and slowly lowered my weapon. "How long was I out?"

"Fifteen minutes exactly. I was about to wake you, but I guess your internal clocks better than most." He floated away from me and to the dining table.

I shook my head and pushed myself off the couch. My body ached which was odd. All I'd done was slip into the NPA's headquarters and stole some info. I hadn't fought anyone, but I felt like I did after we broke into the Vault of Glass. Well broke into's  
notreally true. My team and I had just held the gate while two others teams beat Atheon to a pulp.

My team…

"So what we're you dreaming about that made you pull Last Word the moment you woke up?" Dig asked, his voice calm. He was trying to play it cool. He knew it'd been months since I'd last done that.

I remembered Kathy, I remembered her screaming my name. The green fire. The eyes. With a shake I stretched my arms and slipped off my helmet, which apparently I had fallen asleep with still on.

"What do you think." I replied as I walked over to him.

"Hmph." He grunted.

"So what do you've got?" I asked leaning on the table and staring down at the dozens of holographic files laid about. For whatever reason he liked actually looking at things rather than just scanning them and filing through. He was weird like that.

But I guess we all are in our own way.

Dig waited a moment, "well, I've got something, but nothing concrete. They got some DNA from the scene, since he was kinda blown to chunks, but tests proved inconclusive."

"So Hana's assassin wasn't in the system." I nodded. That made things harder for us.

"Yep. Actually do you want to bring her in here and let her listen in? I mean she's already up against the door hoping to hear something more than mumbles." Dig asked, blinking once.

I looked at the door to my room and shrugged softly thanks to the aches. "Just close the cockpit. Don't need her seeing the ships controls."

The doors to my room opened just as the cockpit shut closed, and Hana Song fell forward in a heap, yelping as she hit the ground.

"Ow." She groaned, holding her sides as I walked over to her shaking my head.

Her eyes looked up to me and widened. "You're human?"

I blinked once, then twice. "Yes? What the hell did you think I was?"

"I thought you were a…" She pushed herself off the floor, grimacing as she did, "omnic."

I raised an eyebrow then looked down at myself. I studied my armor, then looked back at her. I guess I hadn't ever been out of my armor around her. If she'd never seen anything like me, well I guess I can see how she thought I was a machine.

"Well I'm not." I replied turning from her and lazily motioning for her to sit at the table.

My arms crossed as she took a seat, ablate slowly, then Dig suddenly turned to her. "Your wounds seem much better. A few more days and you should be ready to kick his ass again."

The faint trace of a smile tugged at her lips, but she didn't do anything other than stare at my Ghost.

"What are you?" She asked softly.

"A ghost." Dig replied before turning to his files. "Basically his caretaker."

"Shut up." I rolled my eyes.

"What's a ghost?" Hana asked, eyeing me suspiciously.

Seriously what the fucks her problem with trusting me?

Oh yeah I stabbed her.

"Something we can explain later. Right now, Dig heres going to tell us what he found out about your would be assassin." I replied, nodding towards my Ghost.

She grew quiet, and her face hardened. I looked away. I hated that look.

"Well, as I told Nate here, of yeah his names Nate by the way, the police were able to get some DNA from the crime scene in the building, aka where you attacked him, but couldn't find any traces, which means this guy was off the grid, at least for being  
/a criminal."

The holographic files floated higher to where both me and Hana could read them.

"However they recovered his phone. It was damaged beyond repair, and they failed to access anything on it, but they were able to get the make of it. It was TX3, newest model from the Samsung corporation."

"How's that gonna help?" I asked.

"Oh ye of little faith." Dig floated higher and more files appeared. I heard D'Va gasp a little but didn't look at her. "I went back the recordings from your helmet and got his height, and general age. He was six foot two, and according to his voice and  
/stance, was at least over thirty five years old. He also had no accent which makes him either a native english speaker, or someone who grew up around english to help dissolve whatever accent he may have had. He was also Caucasian if his hand color  
was anything to go by."

I just remembered how the man welded the fifty cal. I realized he really hadn't been wearing gloves. Why?

"Why wouldn't he wear gloves?" I asked.

"Don't know. Personal touch?"

"No professional should be willing to do that. It could leave a trace."

"But he wasn't in the system."

"Maybe not." I rubbed my chin with the back of my hand, "but people would've started looking if he left any traces."

A thought occurred to me. "Dig, where did the blast that killed him originate from?"

"It was directional, front facing from his chest…" Dig's voice faded as he came to the same realization.

"He was a suicide bomber." I shook my head. "But for who? If he killed D'Va then what would be the point of just blowing himself up after?"

"Make it look like some random psycho?" Dig suggested.

"Possible, definitely a good way to throw the authorities off your trail. No way he was a random killer though, too trained for that."

"Maybe." Dig agreed before continuing, "well with that in mind I may be able to find more about him. From what I initially had I was able to narrow down the search. I took what facts we had, got any major english speaking countries with Samsung, and cross  
/referenced those with white males over the age of thirty five that had purchased a TX3."

"How many hits?"

"12,678."

"Fuck." I sighed. "Where are most of the hits?"

"The United States and The United Kingdom."

"That's the other side of the world." I shook my head. "What the percentage that one of those twelve thousand is actually our guy?"

"Sixty nine point three one percent."

I huffed. "Damn."

"So we have nothing?" A small voice said from the side.

My eyes moved over to Hana. She was hunched over, staring at the floor, eyes wide and shining with water. I could almost feel her pain. She had lost her friend, and we who promised to help, had nothing to show for it.

"My best friend's dead and you don't know anything?" Her teeth were grit as she looked up at Dig. "Did you kill her?"

"No." I replied.

"Then why would some random man kill her!" She growled, visibly shaking.

Her mood was quick to change, and I backed up, my hand resting against Last Word out of habit.

She shook. "why would some random man fly to Korea just to kill her…"

I went wide eyed. "Wait, Dig how many of those hits flew into Korea over the past year?"

"One moment." His eye glowed brighter for two seconds, I counted, then it went dim again. "One hundred twenty three."

"How many were here in the capital for the parade?"

"Twelve."

I grinned and looked at Hana. "We have twelve men we can look for. One of which will not be alive since he killed himself, which means we can search his room, or get a description of him."

She looked at me and I saw her eyes light up. "So we can find whoever he's working for?"

"If he came into the country legally, and used a hotel of some sort, then we can try to find any of his known associates. If he didn't, well I'm sure there are some shady underparts that we can ask around, and I doubt his room would be without any trace  
asto who he was, at the very least Dig could go through any hotel's recored security footage and sort through anything to find a picture of him at least."

"Why doesn't he do that already and see if the person hasn't been in the hotels the past few days?"

"Because hotels have multiple entrances, not all of which have cameras, and we only know names. We don't know what they look like." I answered.

"Obviously white, like Dig said."

"Duh, but their could be other white people, we only know where ones who bought this specific type of phone are at. It's not full proof but its all we have."

She licked her lips. "I'm going with you."

Immediately I shook my head. "You're too weak. You can barely walk."

"I'm going." She said, her eyes narrowing and her decision obviously final.

"Hana-"

"She was my best friend, and she died because of me." She pushed herself up, grunting softly as she straightened her back. "I want to know why he wanted to kill me. I want to know why she died."

Already I knew where this was going. She was pissed, and I could see how much she wanted revenge. If I left her here, she'd cause a ruckus, and the last thing I needed was for her to scare Bastion and for him to fill her with lead.

It would be better if I was around her to keep an eye on her, at least that way I could try and keep her from doing anything to stupid.

I shook my head. "If you die, don't blame me."

* * *

I stepped into the lobby, the bright orange lights of the hotel welcoming us as it brought color to my skin. I lowered the cap on my head and placed one hand in the pocket of my jeans before wrapping the other around Hana songs's waist.

"Don't get used to this." I heard her hiss, though she leaned into my grip for support.

"Of course not hun." I joked with a smirk.

"You're lucky I can't hit you."

"So lucky." I chuckled softly as we approached the front desk with and empty backpack on my back and fresh clothes clinging to us.

Since Hana had loads of cash it was easy getting us disguises, though her new dirty blonde hair wasn't as nice as her darker hair. She also had way more style than me. Where as I was plain with jeans and a t-shirt, she had form fitting black jeans, a  
loosetop with a pea coat, her hair pinned up in curls, and finally a leather belt with golden rings wrapped around her waist at an angle.

Fortunately we had gone shopping late, so most people were already home, which meant that none of her fans saw us. Fortunate, since if they did they'd probably freak the hell out and cause a scene.

Once we reached the receptionist and Hana started speaking in Korean to the receptionist, did Dig finally speak in my head.

 **"Stop checking her out."**

 **"I wasn't you prick."**

 **"I saw you steal a glimpse of her ass."**

 **"I will fucking pummel you."**

There was a light tug on my arm from Hana. "Come on."

I looked at the receptionist who was eyeing me carefully and followed Hana's lead as she lead us to the what I guessed were elevators. I glanced back at the receptionist then back at Hana. "What'd you tell her?"

"That we were on a honey moon and wanted anything on the top floor."

"Smart. You get us suite?"

Her lips pursed and she didn't bother replying to me. I shook my head as the elevator doors opened up for us. Once we were inside they closed before starting their journey upwards.

"Dig, what room was he in?" I asked out loud now that it was just us.

My ghost appeared in a shower of light. "Top floor, and two rooms down from what Ms. Song here got."

I nodded, and ignored how Hana's grip tightened on me.

We waited in silence as the elevator went up the thirty stories, all the way to the top. After a minute or two did the elevator ding to signal our arrival, and only then did Dig disappear in a shower of light.

I felt Hana's grip on me tighten again.

Gently I helped her walk out of the elevator. "Which room?"

"The one at the end." D'Va replied.

I nodded and started that way, helping Hana as she went. She was getting stronger, I could tell that much, but she still limped and even after just shopping and walking here I could see how tired she was getting.

"Don't worry about, Dig." I said.

I felt her look at me, so I then stated, "it freaked me out the first time he did that in front of me too. Trust me, I screamed like a little girl."

She huffed, or chuckled, I couldn't tell, but my answer seemed to satisfy her since she didn't say anything till we got to the door.

"Key." She handed me a card and I slid it through the electronic lock.

It beeped and the little red light turned green, so I pushed the door open with my free hand and we trudged into the suite.

"Damn." I went wide eyed.

The first room, I guess it was a living room, was massive. It was at least the size of my ship and covered in several sofa's, a massive TV that dwarfed the walls of my room, had several reclining chairs, several large rugs that covered the floor in exquisite  
/colors, bookshelves with books, and at the far end a breakfast bar with its own high chairs. Behind that was a stove, several cabinets, a large fridge and sink, and then a large glass window that overlooked the shorter buildings of downtown.

That wasn't even it! the walls were made of marble, and pillars stood at the ends of the room as if they actually held up the roof above us.

"Sofa?"

"Sorry." I apologized then helped Hana to the nearest sofa where she laid down with a groan.

Instantly I looked back at the room then to the ceiling. The roof was made of marble and a large painting of… a naked angel? Or angels? Anyway those paintings covered it with pristine accuracy.

Two oak doors laid off to the right side where I guessed the bedroom was located.

"This is a suite?" I asked shaking my head.

"It's not the best, sorry." Hana stated and I spun to her, throwing my hands up.

"I live in a cubicle compared to this!"

She shrugged and leaned back against the couch. "So what's the plan?"

"Well we wait and see if the guy shows up. If he shows up, then he's obviously not our target since our targets dead. If he doesn't then he's dead, so he is our target, then we ransack his room and find out whatever we can." I replied, moving to the fridge  
tosee what we had to drink. "Speaking of our man, Dig?"

"I hacked their security systems, and our man has yet to arrive since we've been here. No idea how long he's been gone for either." Dig replied.

"Good." I nodded. "He could've been our shooter."

"Possibly, unless he left this morning and went out to a club."

I nodded. "We'll have to wait and see if he comes back."

Her eyes narrowed at me. "So we're waisting our time?"

"Not really. It was either have a stake out in style, or me sitting on the roof top listening to Metallica all evening with just light bulb as company. I prefer doing it in style." I said, opening the fridge to find a few complimentary water bottles.

"Fine." She huffed.

I rolled my eyes and popped off the lid of a bottle before downing the contents in one go. I sighed in relief as the coolness of water engulfed me and I grabbed another bottle. "Want one?"

Hana failed to reply so I chugged a second one, kicking the fridge close with my foot. I finished half of the bottle, wiped what water drops remained on my lips, then flopped onto the nearest sofa which was off to the side of Hana's.

"So what should we do? Order takeout?" I asked, leaning back in the chair with a yawn.

"We could watch a movie." She quipped softly, thought her heart didn't seem into it.

I frowned. "We'll find him, but being upset every second of your life isn't going to bring your friend back."

She didn't look at me and I looked at the TV.

"Dig, any way you can project a movie on the TV?"

"Should be able too. Just have to access the signal that its receiving." Dig appeared next to me, floating a little higher as if to accommodate the extra space our glorious room gave us.

"Sweet, you got any of our favorites stored in your data banks?"

"Lets see…" Dig floated towards the TV and his light grew brighter. "I still have basically everything. Including your movies from the twenty first, twenty…" His voice died out and he turned to me.

His voice then entered my head. **"Probably shouldn't say anything about your collection from the twenty second and twenty third century right? Or the ones from our time?"**

I went wide eyed. **"Probably not."**

"So what do you think?" He asked, nonchalantly turning back to the TV.

"Feel like anything specific?" I asked as I pulled my feet up and laid out straight on the couch, doing my best to ensure I acted like a conversation had not just been held in my head.

"Marvel movies are always fun." Dig replied, and the screen field with dozens of selections.

I nodded. "Originals or the remakes?"

"I personally like the original Civil War." Dig replied.

"Original? Remakes?" D'Va asked, her voice peaking in curiosity. Her head even rose from the couch to look at us with confusion.

Quickly I replied, "he's talking about the comics."

She glared at me then laid back down.

"Anyway, I preferred Civil War two but, I'm game for the movie." I stated, eyeing Dig carefully. I threw a thumb at Hana. "you game Hana?"

"Whatever."

I shrugged. "Fire it up Dig!"

A little over two and a half hours passed and the credits finally rolled, black and white filling the screen.

I tossed the last bit of popcorn from the bowl into my mouth. With a full mouth I stated, "you know, you gotta give it to Stark. Poor dude was guilt tripped in almost every way possible, his best friend almost died, his teammate betrayed him, and his  
friendkept a pretty shitty secret from him too. All in all, I'm amazed he didn't just start killing more people. His life really sucked in this movie."

"Eh. I still think Cap was on the right side." Dig replied, floating next to my couch.

"I think they're both right." I replied. "Stark was right when he said heroes should have rules or they're just as bad, but Cap definitely had a point with protecting his best friend."

"Stark was just an ass." Dig laughed. "He wanted to kill Bucky!"

"For literally strangling his parents!" I shot back.

"I think Nate's right." D'Va's voice added. We both turned to her, me having to sit up so I could see her. "If the good guys can do anything to win, then they can be just as bad, and have to be held responsible for their actions."

"Boom." I yelled, jumping to my feet. "Owned by a twenty year old."

D'Va mumbled something and I looked at her, since I honestly didn't hear what she said. "What?"

"I said I'm nineteen, not twenty."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes." She glared back.

I raised my hands, "sorry, you just carry yourself like your older. But, like a few years older, not like your fifty or something."

She turned away and failed to reply.

I turned to Dig. "Anything on our man?"

"Nope. You two were the last two to come up for the night. Hold on." My ghost disappeared in a flash of light.

While he was gone I stood up and took my bowl to the sink, tossing it in without much care. Dig had procured some popcorn for us, and since Hana only took a handful, I had finished off the rest myself.

Another flash filled the room and Dig appeared in the middle of the living room. "Well the room's still empty."

I nodded. "Think I should go?"

"I would wait till the morning. Wouldn't want him walking in on you, if he went to the police and told the media you were snooping around his place it might tip off whoever it is that want's Hana dead." Dig answered.

"Morning it is."

"Then I'm going to bed." Hana said, though this time her voice wasn't mean, it was tired. "Goodnight."

I blinked over the couch and next to her as she started to push herself up off the couch she had claimed. I offered her a hand and she took it.

Gently I wrapped my arm around her, though this time higher than her waist so I could actually help support her as she walked. She took one step and I saw her teeth clench. I kept my grip firm but gentle, making sure not to squeeze her and cause more  
pain.

She huffed and started forward, and after a few minutes we had her at the doors. I pushed the doors open for her, and we both glanced around for the light switch.

"On the left." She said, and I followed her directions and flipped on the lights.

The bedroom was just as impressive as the living room. Its walls were marble, with greek architectural features chiseled along the roof. A massive King sized bed sat in the middle of the room, the foot of it facing us. To the right was the TV and a small  
/love seat, while next to the TV were curtains and a pair of doors that obviously opened out into a balcony.

"Damn." I laughed. "This place is sick."

To our left was the bathroom, separated by open doors, there was a jacuzzi, a walk in glass shower, two sinks wrapped in marble, a standing mirror and…. well you get the point. This place was lit.

"I'll admit, this is pretty great." Hana chuckled and I blinked my eyes once before cleaning my ear out with my free hand.

Did she just… laugh?

Before I could ask anything she started towards the bed and I helped her. She hiked herself onto it and a after a few moments of struggling we got her on.

She sighed and laid down, and I glanced at the shower. "You don't wanna shower right?"

Her head lifted up and her eyes narrowed. Again. "I can shower myself."

"Okay, okay." I raised my hands defensively. "I'll be on the couch. Wake me up if you need me all right?"

She nodded. "Close the door please."

"Sure." I turned on my heel and grabbed the doors. "Remember, if you need anything. I don't want you to slip and break your leg." With that I pulled the doors shut.

"So now what?" My Ghost asked.

I shrugged. "Got any porn?"

There was silence.

"Dude… the fuck?"

"I'm kidding!" I laughed, rolling my eyes as I walked over, and once again flopped onto the couch. "But for real, what else you got any other movies to watch? It's not like I can have target practice in this place."

He floated over to me. "Well we have a lot like I said. Also, Bastion is wondering where we are?"

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"I visited while you helped her into bed." Dig stated, his parts twirling as he spun around me. "Bow chika bow wow."

My hand took a swipe at him, but he was nimble enough to duck under my attack.

"You know you should really-" He suddenly cut off.

I scrunched my eyebrows together. "Dig?"

"Black smoke just filled the hallway. The cameras in the lobby are out too." He then stated, and spun to face the door.

I could even feel my face pale.

"Shit."

 _Boom!_

The doors blew open and I rolled off the couch, landing on the floor, Last Word suddenly appearing in my hand, and my armor washing over me as the familiar warmth of Dig vanishing and combining his light with me, swallowed my person.

"Dig, get Hana and hide her in the restroom! I'll deal with the grim reaper!" I ordered and I felt my Ghost leave me and appear somewhere else.

With a kick, I shoved myself away from the couch then twin shotgun blasts ripped the soft cloth to pieces.

Black robes and the bone mask appeared as the couch was shredded and I fired.

My bullets slammed into his shoulder, but he barely flinched and fired at me point blank. The first shot hit me and drained part of my shields, while the second shot missed since I rolled to my right, towards the kitchen.

Using my momentum I swept my leg under me, pulling up to a crouch and fired off the rest of the clip in quick succession.

The man stumbled back, hitting the second couch, and I pulled a grenade.

His head turned to me and I threw the grenade.

His form disappeared into smoke and I flipped backwards, smoke from my void power filling the room as the grenade detonated .

I landed on my feet, standing tall as I drew my knife with one hand and held Last Word at the ready with the other.

 _Thump._

Feet landed and I spun on my heel, firing away at the kitchen as the man reformed from the smoke.

This time my shots forced him to duck down, and I heard a low curse.

I narrowed my gaze and blinked into the kitchen, spinning as I brought my blade downwards to where I knew he was hiding.

A force met my blade, a shotgun barring its way, and I flinched back as a shotgun blast tried to take off my head. I fired down, and I heard all my shots hit their mark.

The man lunged, somehow still moving even after I filled him with lead, and slammed into my gut, pushing me into the cabinets. The wood cracked as my back hit, my blade fell form my hand, and his taller formed allowed him to lift me up.

I let Arc power engulf me, using powered hands to grab the man and fill him with electricity.

"Gah!" He roared and he spun before releasing me.

I hit the floor of the living room, cracking marble, and pulled up my hand cannon up to face the man.

Shotgun blasts fired at me and I returned a few shots before rolling behind the remnants of the shredded couch.

Another grade appeared on my hip and I primed it, then tossed it over towards the kitchen. With a pop it detonated and I could hear several bright seekers shoot towards their target. I quickly stood and fired once, only for the butt of a shotgun to hit  
/my head.

I rolled with the blow, letting my weight carry me away from the man and spun to one knee before lunging forward. I hit his gut, and pushed him back before sweeping his legs out from under him.

He toppled to the floor and I fired at his head. One round hit, but he turned to smoke, wisps wrapping around me before I blinked backwards.

"Nate!" Dig's voice filled my ears as I landed, smoke reforming not even five feet from me. I dove and shotgun blasts tore the wall apart.

"Someone else got Hana!"

My eyes went wide and I spun to face my attacker. One hand grabbed the shotgun, and my other hand still holding Last Word pushed the other away just as they fired. I drove my knee into his gut, forcing him back a few inches, but he retaliated with a head  
/butt.

 _Thunk!_

I stumbled back a foot or two and shook my head. I fired and shotgun blasts were returned.

We both fell back, though I actually flew back.

My shields flared and I pushed myself up as the man threw his shotguns to his sides.

"The hell?" I gasped as he moved his hands behind his back and two more shotguns formed from the smoke.

He fired and I rolled away, this time glowing orange as the power of sol filled my right hand.

"Nate! They're taking her!" I stood up and a Golden gun replaced Last Word, fire surrounding my entire arm and body.

The man hesitated.

I didn't.

Golden rounds slammed into his chest and his form grew bright orange as he flew back into the wall, shattering it. I watched as Sol particles filled the air, his form disintegrating as he fell.

"Where!" I yelled, golden fire radiating from me as I burst through the doors to the bedroom.

The covers were thrown around, the love seat knocked over, and the TV cracked.

"Window!"

I spun, dashing to the shattered doors that lead to the balcony. I ran outside, and aimed towards the obviously metallic form that was falling away from the building towards a shorter hotel across the street. In it's arm's was Hana, obviously unconscious.

"Nate, you'll hit her!"

"I won't." I fired.

The Golden round soared through the air. I traced its path and saw it inches from the metallic kidnappers head. Suddenly there was a twirl of green, and I watched in horror as a sword slammed into the round and it flew right back at me.

I ducked and the round slammed into the concrete wall behind me, vaporizing a large chunk. I cursed once before gritting my teeth together, standing, and blinking off the balcony after Hana.

The air swept around me and tugged at my cape as I dropped down through the night sky. The kidnapper landed on the roof of the shorter hotel, rolling to their feet as they started their get away with Hana under one arm.

I blinked downward, and feet from the roof, used my boosts to launch me forward. I hit the roof hard, but ignored the pain, and rolled forward, drawing Last Word.

My gaze zeroed in and I roared, "stop!"

The kidnapper froze, like a machine.

It was quiet, but the sounds of car horns and the buzz of electricity filled the air.

"Let her go!" I stood up and stalked forward, careful to watch for any movement on my radar.

The being gently pulled Hana up, and set her down with such precise care that I wondered for a moment if they were actually trying to kidnap her.

They turned to me, and a metal helmet with green lighting greeted me. Two swords were on their back, and a long, trail of cloth floated behind them.

"Who are you?" I asked, stopping as my instincts told me too.

Nothing moved.

I slowly narrowed my gaze.

Their hands were still.

My finger hovered over a trigger.

A twitch and I ducked. A sword swiped over my head and I turned and fired. Again, the sword was raised and somehow each of my shots were deflected, several flying right back at me and taking down my shields entirely.

I heard the wisp in the air and raised my arm. Three sharp stars hit my armor, embedding themselves within, but how deep I didn't know. I quickly back stepped and dropped Last Word in favor of drawing Raze Lighter off my back.

If they could defect my bullets then I'd teach them how to use a sword.

The being lunged at me, and I parried its first swipe to the right. They spun and drove the blade ay my side, to which I again blocked thanks to the greater size of my sword.

Unfortunately they were quicker, and they slipped their sword under my guard and drove it hard against my head.

I felt the pressure and the force knock me to the side and my visor flickered.

"There's damage to your helmet! They almost cut halfway through!" Dig warned.

I had no chance to take any advice though as almost immediately I was back under attack.

I blocked, then parried, and took a swipe at their legs only for this dick to flip over and kick me square in the face. I stumbled back and raised my sword just as theirs came right for my neck. I blocked and kicked at their knee, but they side stepped  
/just in time.

Leading with my sword, I moved with the momentum and swung it around. They blocked, but I powered Raze Lighter up and the blast of fire shot them backwards.

Knowing my enemy wouldn't give me a chance to rest I shot forward, using my sword to power me.

They raised their sword and blocked my first strike. I spun and swiped at their side, only to blocked again, this time they pushed forward and their sword almost impaled me. I side stepped away and swiped again. Again it was blocked with ease.

They're better than me.

I was seeing that now, but I had to press. If I gave them any room they'd kill me.

Raze Lighter powered up and I lunged forward. They blocked, but the super powered sword melted though their sword and I grinned as they barley managed to back step before being incinerated.

I stepped back but kept my sword up. The being looked down and I saw the charred edges of their armor, then they drew a second, longer sword.

Arc swirled around me.

I narrowed my gaze. I would need the speed.

They lunged. I lunged.

We parried, then we blocked. I lunged, it blocked. They swung twice, I parried, then side stepped and twirled my sword around hoping to cleave of their head. They ducked and drove their knee into my side. I rolled with it and sent my last knife flying  
atthem. It bought me enough time since they were forced to duck, and I spun on my heel just in time to block another swipe sent for my neck.

I pushed back and tried to kick them, but they spun around me. I wasn't quick enough to block, and barely deflected the next swipe that still managed to hit my leg, cutting straight through my partly replenished shields and the surface of my armor as  
itglowed a bright green.

With a growl I unleashed a wave of Arc and it shoved the being back, forcing them to rebalance as I stood up and twirled my sword once.

Their sword started to glow green again.

I tightened my grip.

"Nate?"

I heard Hana's voice and ducked as more stars flew at me, then rolled off to the side, glancing to see Hana starting to sit up, then blocked a swipe meant for my legs.

"Hana!" I yelled, pushing back. "Run!"

"Smoke!" Dig's voice suddenly interrupted.

I saw it then, the smoke slithering onto the roof and around me and the kidnapper. I quickly kicked at the being and let out another bout of Arc to force them back as I turned to Hana, sheathing my sword onto my back.

I felt my muscles contract and ache, but I ignored the pain, and shot towards Hana.

"Hehehe hahah…" A deep voice filled the air.

I could feel the smoke form and-

 _Thunk!_

I felt at least a dozen stars hit my armor, bouncing off the shields which were trying to recharge only to overwhelm them.

"Fuck!" I yelled as metal stars embedded themselves into my side, piercing my armor, and slicing my flesh.

"Die!"

I saw Hana's eyes grow wide as she looked behind me, and my gut told me to vault over the building ledge, it told me that was only way she would live. I lunged at Hana, my arms wrapping around her.

"Die!"

We flew towards the side and I jerked as a shotgun blast hit my back.

"DIE!" Suddenly the air filled with the sound of shotgun blasts and I was blasted forward, Hana screaming as we tumbled to the edge of the roof and sailed right off into the deep alley below.

I saw the approaching ground, twenty something stories down, then I saw the fire escape, and spun myself around just in time to absorb the impact as we hit the metal stairs.

"Fuck!" I yelled, as we bounced and rolled right off the side and fell towards the ground again. I saw another obstacle and again I turned myself around. We hit a swamp cooler hanging off the side of the building.

My back ached and the cooler gave way after a second, and once more we plummeted down.

I barely got a glance of the approaching ground this time, but it was enough to let me know we had about twenty stories before splat, and twenty stories for me to figure out how to save Hana. I could revive, but a hard hit would kill her.

I had to break the fall, or at least lessen it.

"Dig!" Transmat the sparrow below us!" I ordered. This time our fall was going uninterrupted, but we were picking up speed. Hana's hair was painfully whipping by and my cloak was dragging behind.

"Are you crazy!" He yelled back in my ear. "A fall from this height will kill both of you!"

"I've got to break the fall! If I spam the sparrows boosters, the momentum will be transferred sideways!"

I could feel his hesitation, but there was a flash and Hana screamed. I pulled her tighter.

Ten stories.

I boosted, and my body flipped upright, Hana still clinging to me for dear life, and I spread my legs.

This was gonna fucking-

 _Wham!_

My eyes slammed shut and I clenched back a groan, before taking hold of the sparrows controls with one hand. The engine roared and we shot through the air, through the alleyway we had ended up falling into, and right towards the streets.

The glow and roar of TimeBreakers boost filled the air, and scorched the sides of the two buildings caging us in.

Five stories.

"Hold on!" With one arm I threw Hana up. She screamed who knows how many curses at me and I placed both feet on the side of Time Breaker, then shoved myself off the speeder.

I spun.

Four stories.

Hana was there, flailing about with feared filled eyes as I wrapped my arms around her.

I boosted once.

Three stories.

I boosted again.

Two.

"Fuck!" I yelled as I activated my-

 _WHAM!_

Creaks filled the air and I sunk down, Hana's weight pushing me further through the lids of a dumpster as trash flooded over us, and a rank smell filled my nose.

"Transmatting in seven!" Dig announced and a warm light engulfed us.

Hana groaned. I groaned and looked up.

Green lights and metal were falling down towards us.

"Dig hurry!" I yelled, grabbing for Last Word on my thigh- which wasn't there since Dig was busy and couldn't transmat it onto me.

I grabbed the handle of my sword which was still on my back.

"Dig!"

"Three!"

I tightened my grip, sol power surrounding my free hand.

"Two!"

Golden gun formed and I saw the green eyes as the being from before drew a sword and aimed it for my head.

"One!"

There was a flash, then a thunk, and I felt metal beneath me, and saw metal above me.

My ship.

"Fuck." I leaned back, my head falling against the floor. "That was too close."

I put my arms behind me, my armor scrapping against the metal floor, and pushed up. I looked at Hana who was now looking around at the ship with wide, confused eyes as she rolled off me.

Shit. Before I had just landed the ship outside of the city, saying it was an old military way station, then used the sparrow to drive us into the city to jack a car before she could look further. I hadn't risked showing her that truth of it being an  
/actual space ship, or that fact that Dig could basically teleport us and things, to and fro.

"Ugh,you ok?" I asked as pain throbbed in my sides.

She turned to me, eyes wide with confusion, but almost instantly they turned to concern. "Nate!" Her hands went to my sides and I flinched.

I looked down and saw the blood leaking from my right side onto the floor. "Well shit."

"Dig!" Hana yelled, somehow standing up without trouble as I laid back down.

My Ghost appeared. "Shit, Nate."

I laughed. "Well, no more stake outs in style."

* * *

Tracer walked through the sliding doors of Winston's lab, having just returned from London after her fight with Amélie. She held her right arm with care as she took in the scene.

Winston was at his computer typing away with abnormal ferocity. Mercy, better to known to her as Angela Ziegler, was standing next to him, her hand holding up her head in obvious concern. Staring out the window over the rest of Watchpoint: Gibraltar,  
wasTorbjörn, the small man with a temper, but who looked extremely bored with whatever was happening.

"Ah! Lena! It's good to see you!"

Her green eyes turned to the giant in the room; Reinhardt Wilhelm, without a doubt the oldest, or one of the oldest, members of Overwatch.

She smiled. "Reinhardt! When did you get in love?"

"Just an hour ago! Ah heh. That old jet is still a bumpy ride!" The man laughed, his armor rattling as a joyous, thunderous laugh filled the room.

Lena smiled. "Well I'm sure Winston's trying to fix that."

"Hmph." The Gorilla grumbled and she turned to him.

She blinked over to him and then she was standing behind him, looking over his shoulder and at the screen. A video was playing and she saw the vigilante from Rio, but this time he definitely wasn't in Rio.

"Winston?" She asked, her voice dropping and her eyes growing curious.

"It seems your vigilante is a bit of a trouble maker." Angela stated, before setting a soft hand on Lena's shoulder.

Tracer shuffled her feet. "What happened?"

"A few days ago he kidnapped this girl after killing her friend, and blowing up a civilian." Winston typed at the keyboard, and a new image popped up, one of a young girl with dark hair and brown eyes. "Her name is Hana Song."

"Hana Song? You mean D'Va.?" Reinhardt asked, his deep voice echoing out from behind Lena.

She jumped, "Oi! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Lena…"

She turned and looked back to Winston who returned her look with care and obvious sorrow.

"I don't think your vigilante is one of the good guys."

"What do you mean?" She asked.

The Great Ape clicked more commands into his computer. "Look." Then a new video started up.

It was obviously hand recorded, of poor quality, but still gave a picture clear enough to show what was happening. It was the vigilante, and he was holding a knife to the girl, to Hana's throat. There was movement and the next thing she knew the vigilante  
/had driven knife into Hana's chest.

"What…" She shook her head. "No I swear he helped people in Rio!"

"I don't know." Mercy replied. "Seeing this, make me think he's working with Talon."

"Impossible! I saw him fighting the Reaper and Amélie!" Tracer retorted. "There's no way he's working with them!"

"Maybe not." Winston sighed, "but the video's proof enough that he needs to be contained at the least."

She couldn't retort that.

"Well, I'lll find him and bring him in." Reinhardt announced, turning on his heel as he marched towards the doors. "Anyone else?"

"I'll go." Tracer replied.

"As will I." Mercy agreed.

"Good! We will bring him to justice!"

Lena frowned, and adjusted the way she was holding her arm. "Angela, before we go can you mend this?"

"On the way over." The taller blonde smiled.

"Thanks love."

Reinhardt raised his fist, grinning.

"Then come fair maidens! Onward to glorious victory!"

* * *

 **A/N And heres the newest chapter. So from the pace of things, I'm releasing chapters every week and a half, or trying too.**

 **Anyway, we got Genji versus Nate versus Reaper. Don't worry D'Va's not going to be totally useless, she's just injured right now and can't really help much. Also the sparrow trick works in game so I figured it would work here too.**

 **From what I got from the Dragons short, Genji and Hanzo both wield a degree of magic, hence why Genji's sword has an easier time cutting through Nate's shields and armor. It's not like an instant hit, or even shield break, but it's still a heavy hitter, and Hunters already have weak durability compared to Destiny's other units.**

 **Don't know what else there is to say.**

 **We got Tracer, Winston, Reinhardt, Torbjorn, Mercy, Genji, Reaper, Widowmaker, and D'Va so far. The rest will come in.**

 **Guest: Well true, but Ghost also has no idea how old tech, especially OLD OLD tech works. It'll take him a bit to figure it out, hence why he needed a more direct approach for hacking into encrypted servers. And I have no idea if a ghost can transmat anything into useable tools for a guardian.**

 **Sanity07: Thanks! :D**

 **Halo is bad ass: Umm maybe? To be honest I haven't really though of adding her yet, though only the first Arc of this story, and the end obviously, are sort of fleshed out so she could appear.**

 **ZillaFan: As of the Dragon's short, he is not dead.**

 **gold crown dragon: there will be, but I won't say who ;)**

 **Spartan111MS: if you want to PM me go ahead! Nate's also a Hunter, not a Warlock, but he does have access to all three subclasses.**

 **Lord Razer: I will say this, Talon has a much bigger goal on its to do list than dissect a Guardian.**

 **Oh! Last thing! I've decided as of today that the story will have four arcs. The First, which we are in, is The Reforming of Overwatch. The Second will be, The Claws of Talon. The Third, The Lost Guardian, And the fourth… will be a secret as it might spoil the final arc and where I plan to go.**

 **Anyway thanks for reading! Please Review! God bless you all!**

 **-Metal4k**


	6. Chapter 6

**The Darkest Knight**

 **Part I: The reforming of Overwatch**

 **Chapter 6: Cheerleader and Terminator? Damn.**

* * *

"Shit." I groaned as Hana helped me to the shower.

The warmth of my own blood draining out of me and down my side was obvious but I ignored it and focused on the shower.

"We need to take you to a hospital." Hana growled as I stumbled once and she was forced to hold me up.

Shit. My legs were going numb. Too much blood loss.

"I'm fine." I retorted, struggling to take even a few more steps as we passed the TV in my room and headed right for the open restroom. Dig floated by us, scanning me over and over.

I grunted as she pushed me in, being forced to hold me up from behind since the doorway was too small for us to both fit through at once. I grabbed ahold of the vanity, which was just a hunk of grayish metal that stood off the floor, and forced myself  
/to stand straight.

D'Va released me and moved to the shower, turning it on even as I felt her confused yet concerned gaze on my back.

"Trust me," I grunted. "I need to clean it, and the water will help the sealing gel work faster. Besides, I doubt you'll want to be around to see me stitch myself back together."

She frowned and moved over to me as my armor vanished in a flash of light and only the black skin suit I wore underneath was left to cover me. She moved to my side and inspected it before going behind me.

Somehow she found the zipper and started pulling it down.

With aches my body rejected the soft treatment, but through sheer force of will I managed to stay still as Hana started too- my eyes went wide as I felt her hesitate at the lower half of my back.

I coughed. "I can get it from here."

I wasn't uncomfortable with her doing it don't get me wrong, I'd seen my fair share of naked Guardians, Awoken and human, whenever I helped out in the med-bay back at the tower, but I could tell she was uncomfortable with the idea. Hell, she may not have  
/had sex yet, let alone helped stitch together a comrade in arms! Of course she'd be uncomfortable undressing someone!

Also considering the fact I was walking around and making myself seem ok was probably putting her off since she probably thought was I ok enough to undress myself.

"Um… okay. Sorry." She shot up to her feet and turned away from me and retreated back to the room. "If you need anything…"

"I'll let you know." I finished for her with a pained smile.

With that the door slid shut and Dig floated higher to face me.

"What?" I growled, frowning as I leaned against the glass shower walls, using one hand to hold my wounds and the other to open the door to the shower.

"You should tell her the truth, I don't want to have to keep lying to her." Dig replied, for a rare moment not being a jerk.

"What're you talking about?" I huffed, pushing myself inside the shower as my suit dragged behind me. I didn't need to take it off. "I wouldn't make you lie to her."

"Yes you would."

I shrugged. "Well, maybe." I steadied myself against the wall right under the shower head. "Probably."

With a grunt my hand hit the metal button on the wall for warm water. There was a slight rumble and with a hiss, streams of water raced out from the shower head and hit my body head on. The water felt nice and its warmth consumed me for a moment, until  
/my body shivered and a lance of pain shot through my right side.

An inhumane growl left my throat and I opened my palm, letting Dig hear my thoughts.

Instantly Last Word appeared in my hand.

"She's gonna hear the shot." Dig sighed.

I shrugged. "Oh I'll just tell her I dropped something."

"She's not that stupid."

"Well, she won't be able to question how I'm alive." I replied.

"Unless you tell her the truth. Kathy would've voted for the truth." Dig floated up to my side, his light scanning me once more. "Plus you're bodies gonna go into shock or cardiac arrest within the next fifteen minutes."

"Kathy's not here." I scowled at him and raised my hand canon. "And there are no guardians here. How the hell would I explain being able to literally rise from the dead to her? How does me saying I'm from a different universe play out when I tell her?"

I opened my mouth and placed the hand canon under the top palette of my mouth, aimed right up for my brain.

"She'll probably think you're crazy." My ghost admitted.

 **"And she already hates me as is. Last thing I need is for her to think I'm crazy. Otherwise she's gonna go off on her own and get herself killed."** I thought back since my mouth was kind of occupied.

"Well see you in a few." Dig said floating away.

I sighed.

My hand tightened on the gun.

 _Bang!_

* * *

Several moments earlier…

* * *

Hana stared at her hands, blood starting to stain them as it dried. It wasn't even her blood. It was Nate's, this random guy who twice now had saved her life.

She hated that. He saved her and now she felt like she owed him. He may not have said anything, but she knew she owed him. She wouldn't let someone save her and not thank them for it.

But just cause she thanked them didn't mean she had to like it.

She hated being helpless.

And twice this man had proven she had been helpless without him.

Twice.

She clenched her fists and grit her teeth. She hated this so much. But even if she hated her situation, she had to admit she needed him. If anything to at least help her find Claire's true killer. His drone, Dig, was advanced and was an invaluable ally  
/to have in searching of her would be assassin's employer. To be honest Dig seemed more like an AI, similar to the omnics, but smarter.

Why hadn't Nate just told her? She looked to the closed door of the restroom.

Probably because he didn't trust her, which made sense since she attacked him, but he did try to kill her.

She shook her head.

They were barely allies. Of course he wouldn't trust her with his secrets, especially if he designed Dig to be the worlds smartest AI.

She still had his blood on her hands.

With a frown she stood up. She wanted to wash her hands but she didn't want to walk in on

Nate. As it is she had already almost helped him undress, and his toned back-

 _Bang!_

She flinched, her eyes going wide and a gasp escaping her as she spun towards the restroom. That was definitely a gun shot, and it came from the restroom!

"Nate!" She yelled, instantly moving to the restroom and knocking hard despite the way her sore body protested.

There was a thump, and she stepped back.

Her mind raced. She could try and kick down the door, but it was metal and with how weak she was she had more of a chance of hurting herself than actually getting in. She-

Ah! She didn't care! That was a gun shot! She had to get in there!

The idiot probably hurt himself even more! That was the last thing either of them needed!

She dashed over and grabbed the lamp from the night stand next to the bed, returned to the door, and raised her new weapon in preparation for breaking the door open.

Suddenly the door slide open and she saw Nate, facing what she knew was the sink and mirror, a towel draped over his shoulder, and… and nothing around his lower waist! She yelped and dropped the lamp. "Sorry!"

"Gah! Whats with the lamp!" He yelled, instantly covering his manhood.

Heat rushed to her cheeks and she spun away, shielding her eyes. "I… I heard a gun shot!"

"I just dropped something!" He shouted back and she heard the door slide close with a hiss.

She glanced back and was relieved to see the door was indeed closed. She sighed and shook her head, unable to rid herself of the blush on her face.

"Dig, I thought I told you to lock the door!" Nate's voiced roared from inside the restroom.

Instinctively she flinched at his words, fearing for whatever repercussion Dig would be facing.

"Heh. Worth it."

There was clang and Dig cursed, though she couldn't make out what he specifically said. A bright light appeared next to her and a moment later Dig appeared.

The little machine didn't meet her gaze and instead twirled once. He snickered. "Sorry…"

She huffed and crossed her arms. Something told her his apology wasn't entirely sincere.

The sound of water cut off from the shower and a moment later the door reopened. Nate walked out, his hair still wet, but he was at least fully clothed.

"Sorry about this asshole." He said and she watched as he tried to back hand Dig, only for the little Ghost to zip upward and away from the strike. "He know's literally nothing about decency."

Hana shrugged, but kept her eyes low to the floor. She _really_ didn't want to look at Nate right now. She felt… invasive…

There was a sigh and she saw Nate's feet walk past her.

"Relax, Hana. It's not a big deal."

"Heh." Dig chuckled. "Yeah Hana, no _big_ deal at all."

There was commotion, and she glanced up to see Dig go flying across the room and into the wall, bouncing off once before being able to regain his balance. The little machine laughed. "I will say it once again. Worth it."

The girl shook her head and looked up just enough to make her way to the couch where she sat down and returned to keeping her gaze low.

She started to wonder what she could say to kill the awkward atmosphere. She could bring up the investigation! Or maybe ask him where he was from? Ah! She grit her teeth. She hated awkward situations. How could it not be awkward! She just saw his… his  
/manhood!

"So I know this is probably a shit time to bring it up, but our target made it back to his hotel." Dig's voice interrupted her thoughts and she looked up at him, completely forgetting her feelings of awkwardness.

"What?" She asked, her voice dropping in defeat.

"I set up a program in the hotel's system that would alert me if he checked out. He just checked out, and the police are also on scene."

"Probably investigating the destroyed suite." Nate replied from somewhere behind her. She didn't turn to look at him.

"So where's our next lead?" She heard Nate ask and glanced up at Dig.

The Ghost spun around. "Not far, about three blocks from where we were originally, but I doubt going there tonight is a good idea, even if we transmat in."

Hana blinked once in confusion. "Transmat?"

She had a feeling if Dig could go pale, he would've. "Uh… transmitting is… well it's kind of like…"

"It's teleporting." Nate replied and there was a soft thump as he popped onto the couch next to her.

He was surprisingly agile for have just had his side carved apart by shotguns.

Letting her curiosity win out, she decided to look over at Nate and was prepared to ask him to elaborate about this teleportation, until she saw that he was still shirtless. But that's not what got her. What surprised her was that his wounds were complexity  
/gone! Not even a scar remained!

"What happened!" She gasped, shooting up from the couch with wide eyes. "Your wounds!"

"Oh this?" Nate said looking down at himself, a shirt wrapped around his hands as if he was about to put one on till she interrupted him. "It's nothing. I have healing abilities. A shower helps."

She blinked. Healing abilities? Teleportation? What the hell?

"What! You're saying you can heal like… like it's some sort of super power and that you," she threw a finger at Dig, and ignored how her side ached, "can teleport us places? Like how you teleported us out of that dumpster and back here?!"

"Uh well yeah." Nate shrugged, finally slipping on his shirt. "It's not a big deal."

"It looked like a big deal when you were bleeding out!" She exclaimed. "Nate, that looked really bad! And if he can teleport, then why didn't he just teleport us out of there before you got sliced up!"

"I'm fine ok? And yes Dig can teleport us places. It's not instant though, since were biological he needs time to teleport us to and fro, hence why he has to have a few seconds to lock unto us and we have to be relatively still. Being in a fight tends  
/to get rid of the chance at being still."

She shook her head and backed up. "What else aren't you telling me?"

His eyes narrowed at her. "What do you mean?"

"You could've told me you could teleport us or that you could heal! I mean, that could'e been useful!" She replied, throwing her hands up in the air.

Nate crossed his arms. "So what're you're saying is that after we both tried to kill each other and your general sense of dislike towards me, you expect me to tell you something secret like that?"

"A secret that would've been beyond useful to know!" She shot back. Sure she he may have had a point in the fact she disliked him, but she didn't want him dead and she was worrying for no reason it seemed! She hated not being told important details like  
/this!

"Oh right, so please explain to me how that conversation would've gone? Oh hey, I know you kind of hate me, but we can teleport and I have super powers! Wanna go hunt some bad guys?" He retorted, before shaking his head.

She glowered at him, her eyes turing to dangerous slits. "Well, no… but…" She turned away.

Damn him for being right.

There was a sigh and she saw Nate run a hand through his hair. "Look, we don't know anything about each other, other than you're famous and I have training and a power. We can't work together well if we don't trust each other."

"You don't trust me?" Hana asked.

"Not really, and I know you don't trust me either. We tried to kill each other for goodness sake." Nate laughed, though his tone held no amusement at the idea.

She pursed her lips and didn't respond. What could she say to that? He was right.

But he saved her in the end. Twice to be precise.

She owed him something.

"Well, how about we try getting to know each other." She barely managed, her teeth sinking into her cheek after she spoke. She wasn't good at this whole apologizing thing. Or trying to apologize. Or whatever this was.

The man before her raised an eyebrow but didn't reply, leaving the floor wide open for her.

Hana sighed and slowly sat back down on the couch, bringing her knees up against her as she stared at the floor. "What's your favorite color?"

There was no immediate reply and she spared a quick glance at Nate, to see a small smile on his lips before he finally responded. "Blue. Or black. Depends on my mood."

She nodded and silence took over the room.

Neither of them moved and Dig just disappeared in a flash of light. Most likely because of the now tense atmosphere. Maybe this whole thing was a bad idea… She should've just kept her mouth shut and dealt with him long enough to find the killer's boss  
/then split whenever she got the chance. She should've-

"What about you?"

She glanced at him, scrunching her eyebrows. "Blue and pink."

He nodded and puffed his cheeks before blowing out a bout of air. "Uh. Whats your favorite movie? You obviously don't care for Marvel." He smiled, though it seemed awkward.

She sighed to herself and let a small smile play out on her face.

"I'm more of a DC fan."

* * *

 **"This is literally more tense then the first time you and Kathy had sex."**

 **"Dude what the fuck?"**

 **"It is! Like you and Kathy were awkward as shit about it for like days! And you could cut that awkward with a damn butter knife, but shit Hana really doesn't like you. I mean she barely told you her favorite color. And who even talks about their favorite color with a complete stranger?"**

 **"You know you can be a real shit head."** I thought as I opened my mouth to respond to D'Va's last answer. "Well, to be honest I've never liked DC."

She gasped. "What why not!"

"Their heroes are to unbelievable, minus Batman. They're too perfect." I shrugged.

"Oh and Captain America's not?" She shot back. "Mr. Perfect who's always righteous and the moral compass of the Avengers?"

"Hey, he has his issues! I even agreed with you after we watched Civil War!" I retorted.

"Uh huh." She scowled, though this time it lacked any actual anger behind it… which was odd. At least odd for me in the fact I hadn't experienced much else from her other than anger.

"Ok, ok." I raised my hands in defeat, a good natured laugh leaving my throat.

She smiled again.

Sweet, she actually smiled! And twice too! Damn I'm on a role.

"Ok so…" I droned on for a few moments before thinking of something else to say. "Where're you from?"

She looked at the ceiling in thought. "From a small village to the south of Seoul. My families been there for… centuries. It's old, but nice. You?"

"You wouldn't know it, but it's in Russia." I nodded.

"You're Russian?"

I laughed. "No I'm not, at least not really. It's a long, complicated story for another time."

"Hmph." She narrowed her gaze, obviously sensing that I wasn't telling her everything but she let it slide. "So, how old are you?"

I chuckled. "Twenty three. Not that old actually."

Her eyes went wide. "I thought you were at least twenty five."

"Nah. What about you?"

"Nineteen." She shrugged as she pulled her knees against her chest, resting her head on them as she looked at me.

"Fun age." I replied.

"I guess."

I nodded and pursed my lips. Well now what.

 **"Why don't you ask her how she became a gaming legend?"** Dig voiced in my head.

Finally he says something useful.

I smiled. "So, how'd Hana Song from an ancient village end up being a gaming legend?"

She raised an eyebrow at me though it was out of amusement if her smirk was anything to go by. "Because I'm the best."

"Haha!" I laughed. Her pride was truly something else. "You know what I mean."

She giggled and sighed before stating, "well, I always loved Star Craft. It's just… so cool! And my friend Ichi asked me to go with him to a tournament. It was only a regional one so it wasn't a real big deal, but it was so fun!"

Her eyes almost glazed over as she looked at her feet, a massive grin plastered on her face. "I got owned the first time I played. Like, dead last. But, it was so much fun, I had to do it again. So I got better and two years later I made it to the Internationalcompetition."

"Nice." I commented, leaning back against the couch as she continued.

"I won every game I played for the next three years. Not one loss, and I became the champ! What can I say? I play to win." She shrugged. "But then the Omnic started to attack, so they drafted me and a lot of other top players from around the world. They  
/kept it secret mostly, the other governments wanted to see what would happen. Claire was from England, top champion in the Diablo series."

I realized she was going past her becoming a gaming wonder, but I let her continue. She would stop herself if she wanted too.

"So we got together, us and everyone else. And we owned the Omnic over and over! It didn't stand a chance. I even started broadcasting my missions to my fans from Star Craft. Hehe." She grinned. "Some of them even tried to get me to sell merchandise from  
/the battles, like they wanted me to take pieces of machines I beat and sell them to them with my autograph."

"Really?" I chuckled.

"Yup." She shook her head. "I tried once, but the general said I couldn't do that and had me grounded for the next three missions."

"Sounds like you've had fun doing this."

"Yeah I did! Never lost anyone, out of thirty five missions! Not one loss." Her smiled faded. "Then the parade happened." She looked at the ground and I saw her hands grip her legs tighter. "Never…"

"What was the parade for?" I asked, my voice growing soft as to not provoke the short tempered girl before me.

She shook her head. "It was stupid. I thought we needed to celebrate our past victories…" She sighed. "I don't know. I thought it was a good idea."

"It's not your fault."

"Yes it is." Her voice…. The way she said it, the guilt, the pain… It sucked the life right out of my retort. I knew the voice. I'd felt it for almost a year now.

I turned my gaze away.

What could I say?

"It gets easier…"

She didn't say anything, but the silence I took as my que to leave.

Without sound I got off the couch and made my way to the door. For a moment, I hesitated from leaving. But the moment was instantly gone, and I walked out.

The doors slid shut behind me.

* * *

The next day passed without much happening. I stayed in the ship, doing research on Vape God and terminator but came up with nothing other than the fact terminator was apart of the Overwatch group at one point in time.

Too bad they were disbanded! I could've gone to them and asked what the hell was terminator's problem with me!

Either way, here I was a day later, crouched down on a roof, sniper at the ready and-

"So what do you think of Hana?" Dig asked, for like the fifth freaking time.

"Like I said before," I hissed, my eye glued to the scope of my sniper. "she's not a bad person when she's not trying to kill me or shot me enough glares to incinerate my soul."

"Liar."

I ignored his jab and listened to the thumping rain outside my helmet. It was peaceful, tranquil almost, and sure as hell gave me a lot more cover to travel at night.

My eye caught movement and my heart dropped. I watched as the hotel room across the street was filled with a man who fit our search parameters, and several…

"Are those prostitutes?" Dig chuckled.

"I guess so." I frowned as the three women instantly gained up on the man and… well you know what started to happen. Hell I know what started to happen which is why I pulled away from my sniper and slung it on my back.

I stood up and turned away from the hotel, looking over the lights that shone brightly in the night, muddled by the monstrous downpour from the sky. "Thats the fifth one today, and still nothing to show for it."

Dig didn't reply.

I dashed to the end of the building and leapt off, blinking over to the next building where I barrel rolled to my feet and sprinted forward once more.

"Where's the next target?"

"Not far. Three blocks down."

I nodded.

Part of me wishes Hana was here. Shes a better conversation than Dig most of the time. And that's saying something.

But she didn't want to come this time… I had let her think things out for the night we talked, then the next day when I was researching. When today came around I asked if she wanted to go with me to find our target. She said no, and her voice brokered  
/no argument, so I went alone. Alas, here I was, having spent all day searching and now it was late, and raining, and I was getting annoyed.

Whatever. I still had four more targets to go, so here's to a long night!

It took me about ten minutes, but after traversing the dozens of roof tops, after blinking and rolling and leaping, I made it to the roof of the next hotel on our target. This one was a much cheaper establishment, it walls were old and gray, it neon signs  
/flickered and the smell of trash filled the air around it.

"What floor?" I asked, jogging over to the door that led inside.

"One sec… Ok two floors down, room three nineteen, also they don't have an alarm. Just security cameras."

With a grunt I kicked the metal door open, and started my way down the stairs. I arrived at the seventh floor and slid inside. My footsteps were quiet and my weapon was aimed down the hall, ready for anything.

Terminator had found us quickly last time, as had fucking Vape God, so this time I was extra twitchy. Being twitchy had saved my life before, and after offing myself because of my last injuries, I didn't really feel like dying again.

"You know whenever you bring me back everything always tastes weird." I stated.

"Really? You've ever told me the before."

"Well cause most of the time its in the middle of a firefight when you revive me so I forget to tell you." I stopped at room 319, which fortunately Dig translated for me on my visor.

"Care to give an example?" My Ghost asked.

I pondered for a brief moment then shrugged and kicked the door open. Screw stealth at this point. I was getting tired of following random dudes around.

"Well," I started as I stepped inside, staying low and sweeping the room with my rifle, "like if I eat a burger, it tastes like irony, and really bland, like there's no salt on it."

No one was inside, and everything was still.

I lowered my weapon but kept an eye on my motion tracker. "You get me?"

"Considering I don't eat, no. But must suck one way or the other."

"You're telling me." I walked around, scanning every object I could for signs of anything out of place.

Once done investigating, which wasn't much considering this room was filled with exactly one suitcase, one bed, one night stand, a TV and a small fridge, I just kind of stood there looking around. Literally this was the most bland hotel I'd ever seen.  
/No wonder why this building looked like hell. They probably couldn't get any customers!

"Think this is our guy?" I asked, sitting on the bed and glancing around, mostly disappointed with our lack of success.

"Not sure. His name is Edward Gallahan. Small time teacher from the United States, but I have no idea why he's here."

"Hmm." I mumbled. I looked at the TV. Hell, it looked ancient even for this era. Large and bulky, with no actual…. The back.

I looked closer and leaned forward.

It wasn't symmetrical. Like, the left side was… caved in? Or carved out… But barely so. The way this place was, anyone could've ignored it. But… it was just so wrong. So out of place. TV's were symmetrical. Even in my time.

My eyes narrowed and I stood up. "Kind of out of place isn't?"

I walked to the TV, and ran my hand over its back side.

 _Crack._

I blinked and felt the the crack and indent deepen. I looked closer and saw how the piece of plastic had been cut and replaced. My rifle disappeared and I quickly used both hands to pull the chunk of plastic out.

"Dig, light."

The light on my visor activated and inside, under the wiring and nonsense that made up this piece of junk, was a black box. It was definitely out of place. There was no dust on it, and its sleek, black texture and beeping blue light hinted at it being  
/something far more advanced.

I reached in and grabbed it, partially afraid it was a bomb, but was rewarded when it didn't blow up. I pulled it out and Dig appeared, scanning it right after he did.

"Whoa. Nate, this is advanced. Like, decades ahead of anything I've seen in this world so far. Its biometric technology, with encrypted files contained within. The locks hard enough that, well shit I can't break in without more time. And I mean a few  
/days, maybe even a week."

My eyes went wide.

Days?

I moved the thing around in my hand, inspecting it.

What was this thing?

 _Thunk._

"Window." Dig voiced then disappeared along with the black box.

I crouched and my rifle appeared on my back, which is where I drew it from. I took aim and looked at the window.

Something metal was against it.

Something like a claw…

A grappling hook!

Two boots slammed against the glass and the window shattered. Someone landed, a weapon in their hands and they turned-

"Aw shit." I cursed before firing.

Smurfette, aka the blue assassin from Rio with revealing attire, opened fire on me, her assault rifle forcing me to roll to the side and blink out of the door and into the hall.

"Dig, get the sparrow ready!" I roared as I sprinted down the hall back towards the stairs.

No fire chased me down the hall, but as I slipped around the corner and started up the stairs a sniper shot clipped the bottom of the stairs, right under my heel. I looked over my shoulder as I blinked up to the next level and low behold, she was sprinting  
/up the steps, not missing a beat as she opened fire on my position.

I returned three shot's, forcing her to duck down before I finished my way up and out of the building.

With two steps I kicked off into a full sprint, headed for the ledge-

 _Bang!_

"Fuck!" I roared as the sniper shot threw me forward and caused me to fall face flat. I used the momentum and rolled up to my feet, firing up at the Assassin as I went.

Considering the fact that Vape God attacked me and D'Va only days after a failed attempt to kill her, and now at one of our targets hotels where we found some super advanced tech, Smurfette here shows up and I know she's working with Vape God thanks to  
/our little sha-bang in Rio, that only leads me to one conclusion…

Whoever she is, whoever Vape is, they or who they worked for wanted Hana dead.

The woman flipped over my shots and her grappling hook shot at my head. I moved my head to the side and it shot by me. There was a clink and she activated her hook mid air, launching herself right at me.

I smirked, my rifle disappeared instantly, then I rolled under her, but as I did so I reached up and grabbed the back of her hair, pulling her back while my other hand, which had primed a grenade, tossed the explosive at her hook.

It detonated mid air, a directional blast of purple fire that ripped apart her hook and her line, which meant she flew back with me as I pulled her, her weapon flying out her hand.

She landed on top of me, but I kneed her in the back. She responded with an elbow to my side before trying to roll off me. She reached for her gun.

There was no way I was going to let her get her weapon back, so I drew a knife and threw it at her leg. It sliced through suit and right into the back of her knee, severing her tendons, and forcing her to yell and stumble to the floor only feet from her  
/gun.

I jumped up, drawing my scout rifle once more and aimed it at her head.

"All right why the hell do you want Hana Song dead?"

She threw herself onto her back, arm pointed at me and a giant spider looking thing shot right at me!

I ducked and heard a small explosion as it detonated somewhere behind me.

Her eyes narrowed at me, and she laid back, exposing even more of her chest to me and letting a wry smile cling to her face.

I narrowed my gaze. "Why are you smiling?"

"Drop your weapons." A voice said from behind me, and I heard two guns cock behind me.

The voice… It was familiar.

I looked over my shoulder.

It was the cheerleader, both her sub machines guns pointed at me, and her eyes holding none of the friendly cheer they did the first time we met in Rio.

"You're with her?" I asked, glaring through my visor.

"Of course not!" The British woman shot back. I could even see her face tense. "But you've caused too much trouble, and killed that girl."

"I killed no one." I replied, keeping en eye on Smurfette.

"Say's a man with his weapon pointed at an already injured, and beaten enemy." A new voice soothingly accused from in front of me, which meant behind Smurfette.

I looked around and saw another woman; almost as tall as me with medium length blonde hair tied up in a ponytail, good posture with two golden wings extending out of her back, and a staff in her right hand that she used to help creating an imposing image  
/with her white armor and her long battle skirt and black leggings.

"And who're you? My Guardian angel?" I growled, tightening my grip on my weapon and mentally signaling Dig for Raze Lighter in case things got ugly.

"Mercy is what you can call me." She stated, short and too the point, thought her eyes looked at me with sorrow, as if she pitied me.

I nodded but didn't reply to her. Instead I directed my next statement towards cheerleader. "So what? You're making a citizens arrest? And also, how the hell did you find me?"

"You're not hard to track love." The brown haired woman smirked. There was the cheekiness.

"Thanks." I frowned. I was a hunter I was supposed to be sneaky-

"Plus, we had a little bit of help." She added.

 _Clink._

I glanced to the door of the building and metal adorned with green lights stood there, green neon eyes staring at me in silence. Their hand was wrapped around the sword one their back, waiting to draw it in case I turned violent.

I frowned. Things were really starting to line up against me.

"Weird, that you guys don't have any cops with you." I looked between the two women. "Almost like you're not acting on the authority of the law."

Cheerleader pursed her lips. "Let's not argue, love. Come with us, we'll take her too, and then we can talk."

I nodded. "Yeah how about we talk before the cops get here and we all end up having a bad day."

"Do not try to act innocent after killing that girl and kidnapping Hana Song." Mercy scolded, her softer tone starting to fade as she spoke.

"I didn't kidnap Hana and I didn't kill her friend." I replied, though from the way she was looking at me I could tell she wasn't buying it.

The blonde's face turned somber. "We have video evidence and photographic proof."

"I can promise you it's a set up." I replied and Raze Lighter appeared on my back. "Look I'll drop my weapons and-"

"Mercy, duck!" The cheerleader screamed.

My eyes blinked and-

 _Bang!_

A sniper shot ripped the air apart right above Mercy's head. She had ducked just in time.

I raised my rifle and opened fire on the taller building behind her, where the shot had come from. The sound of more sniper fire suddenly filled the air and the hairs on my neck stood up and I threw myself to the ground.

Another round ripped through the air where I had just been.

I spun to my knee and suddenly a grappling hook sailed by my face. I went wide eyed and saw the assassin I had injured sailing right- _wham!_

I flew back as her heel connected with my face. My back hit the concrete roof, and I growled before jumping back up to my feet.

The shooting had stopped. It was all over as quick as it started.

I raised my rifle again and saw the Assassin was gone. I spun around, my eyes scanning every building but failing to see where she had gone. She was nowhere to be found. I snarled. "Damn it!"

I turned to the the other three, each of which were behind cover of some sort. I lowered my weapon. "What the hell was that!"

"Ambush. Probably a trap she set for someone." Cheerleader said, her eyes turning to me and the implication was clear.

I shook my head. "Not my damn fault!" I spun away, cloak twirling behind me and made my way to the edge of the roof.

"Hey!"

"Stop!"

I ignored whoever was speaking, and replied, "She was my only real lead on finding the killer. And now she's gone. Stay away and let me handle this."

With that I leapt off the building, blinking down to the ground and right into the middle of the sidewalk below. The few people out this late gasped as I stood, the rain and dark skies becoming an eerie accompaniment to my dark armor and cloak.

The street I was in didn't actually seem to be a street in the sense it had cars. In fact, there were no cars, just vending stalls, a few dozen people shopping late at night, hole in the wall restaurants, and dozens of signs, small and large, that hung  
/off the side of the buildings around me.

I scanned the crowds. Nothing. No blue skinned assassin.

A frown formed. I had to find her. She was our only lead. If I could find her we could find whoever was in charge, and get Hana answers. Poor girl could use some.

Closure was something everyone needed.

I didn't want Hana to end up like me.

I started forward, "Dig, prepare the sparrow."

"Got it."

Puddles splashed around my feet, rain bounced off my armor, and the neon lights of the downtown buildings glowed brightly in the night.

"Stop right there criminal!" A loud voiced bellowed from behind me.

I narrowed my gaze and spun around.

"I said…" My voice died as my eyes trailed up… and up… to finally I found a giant man in some sort of armor, shining and pristine, with a giant hammer slung over his shoulder staring down at me.

The only thing that kept me from jumping back and rising my rifle was the fact I had a good a couple dozen feet between us.

People quickly walked past us, and most headed inside nearby stores, bystanders looking out the windows as the tension grew. They could probably feel the fight coming.

"I'm not stopping." I finally stated, then I sighed. "I can't ok? I assume you're with cheerleader and the unfriendly angel?"

He nodded silently.

"Figured. Look, I need to find that assassin. Blue skinned and skimpy outfit? She's our only lead to finding out who tried to kill Hana Song." I tried to reason.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw terminator and the angel standing on the street across from us, and I could only figure cheerleader was somewhere down here now.

"Lad, I cannot just let you roam the streets! You've endangered innocent lives and have fought without honor, even going as low as to kill a child on film." The large man said, bringing his hammer around and holding it in a tight grip with both hands.

Well fuck.

It's like everyone wants to kill me.

"Ok, first she's not a child, second if I bring Hana down here will all of you people just stop trying to kill me?" I snapped as my patience started to wear thin.

That actually made him quiet and his grip loosened on his hammer.

I sighed.

Then I saw it.

The quick flash of light from inside one of the stores across the street. The flash from a light reflecting off a scope.

A man, with a rifle. Aimed at the tall man before me!

I drew my rifle in the blink of an eye and fired. There shots ripped through the front glass window, and into the store. I couldn't see if they hit their target but it was enough that I knew he would've taken cover.

"Take cover theres-"

 _Wham!_

I choked on my words as I was sent flying down the street, my shields screeching in alarm and my body instantly aching even before- _thunk!_ I hit the sidewalk, bouncing off the concrete once, then twice, then a third time before I finally hit and  
/rolled to a stop.

"What the…" I coughed before slowly sitting up.

"You attack my comrades and claim you are trying to help Ms. Song? Vile cretin! I shall smite thee from existence!" The large armored man roared from down the street.

I blinked twice before it dawned on me that he had actually hit me with that fucking giant hammer!

"Dude!" I roared, getting to my feet. I looked around and saw that Mercy was just getting up and terminator was standing over her protectively. It was then I saw behind them was the store I had shot at.

The shooter was no where to be seen inside, and the lights no flickered on an off.

But besides that, now I see what had happened.

I fired at the shooter, but it was in their direction.

They thought I had tried to attack them!

My eyes went wide. "Shit."

A foot slammed into my back, and I stumbled forward, sweeping my gun around as I saw cheerleader charge at me. For her size, she was strong. I fired off two warning shot's, but she instantly blinked away and-

 _Wham!_

Another heel slammed into the back of my neck throwing me forward.

Suddenly a sword filled my vision and I was barely able to twist around in time to avoid having my head sliced clean off by terminator.

What sucked is that I ended up falling flat on my back.

"Watch out!" Dig yelled.

The power of void puled my legs and I back flipped up and away just as a hammer came slamming down on the sidewalk where I had been. It didn't break the concrete, which comforted the fact that he obviously didn't want to kill me. At least I hoped he didn't.

I blinked to the right as bullets riddled my position. I returned fire, trying my best to scare them off.

I could tell they were well intentioned, and that they were good people.

But if I knew anything. It was that someone was setting me up.

Snipers meant to attack us and heroes in the same place? This strange box and the blue skinned assassin?

Someone wanted me dead.

I ducked under a swipe from terminators sword and dropped a grenade before blinking up. It detonated and smoke filled the street.

"Dig, sparrow!"

I landed and rolled backwards, firing blind shots through the smoke to keep my pursuers at bay.

I felt the light being channeled and- _swish!_ I side stepped on instinct and a staff flew by my head, two wings twirling as the woman whom they belonged too spun before me. She was twirling her staff with expert skill and I was forced to retreat  
/back as my sparrow appeared behind her.

Hell, she was fast enough and good enough that I was forced to block two swipes with my rifle! I couldn't even get a shot off!

A frown formed on my face and my rifle disappeared. I grabbed Raze Lighter off my back, twirling under another of her swipes as my cape slipped around her and her wings soared over my head.

I spun my sword and raised it to meet her staff.

"I do not wish to fight you. Please, just stop this madness." She pleaded, her brow scrunched up, but her eyes filled with actual sadness. I could tell she hated fighting, but she would if she had too.

It was to late to stop, I knew that. They would never let me out of their sight, and they would probably put Hana in some hospital and she would get picked off easier than her friend did.

"Sorry." I replied before pushing back and taking a swipe at her.

The blade of fire meet her staff of light, and she narrowed her gaze at me as she pushed against me. I held her back with my own strength, then with a shove pushed her back and ducked low before lunging for her legs.

I wasn't trying to kill them, but I could sure as hell injure them.

Her staff twirled down and blocked my strike, and I pushed off her staff using my moment to spin up to my full height. I twirled my sword once and brought it around at her side. She blocked. I pushed off and spun around her.

It was like a dance, she blocked, I striked. She attacked, I parried.

But I stepped back and grinned, her eyes going wide as she realized what I had been doing. I had done what I wanted and now my back was to my sparrow. I flipped back, sheathing Raze Lighter when I landed and spun-

"Sorry love!" There was a flash and suddenly a bright blue device, that was beeping, landed on my sparrow.

I blinked back and an explosion swallowed my sparrow, destroying it in one brilliant flash.

 _Whack!_

I stumbled forward as a staff hit the back of my head. I spun drawing Raze Lighter once more, and a sword sliced my right leg.

"Fuck!" I yelled, gritting my teeth as I spun and blocked another swipe from terminator. Bullets riddled my side and my shields flared, forcing me to roll away, only for a large hammer to slam into me.

I flew back and hit the side of a budding, falling to my knees.

My vision swam and I coughed before looking up. Raze lighter was in the middle of the street and between me and it were all four of my attackers.

"Surrender and we swear no more harm shall come to you." The large man bellowed.

I frowned.

"Hey, Nate?" Dig suddenly said.

"What?" I hissed.

"You may want to duck. Called in some air support."

I smiled as Dig's words filled me with relief. I instantly dropped and suddenly hundreds of bullets started lighting up the street, tearing apart vendor stalls and chipping the concrete wall and the paved street.

The large man spun around and a wall of light appeared, blocking the bullets coming from the clouds above. The great part was that the other three instantly fled behind the cover of light and the bullets focused fire on the shield.

"Up the building behind you! The ramp to the ship's open!"

I didn't hesitate and knew Dig would take care of my sword, so I spun and boosted up twice before grabbing onto a window ledge and blinking up. I grabbed the ledge of a balcony, flipped onto it and using the table set out on it like a spring board, shot  
/myself up to the next floor.

A few more movements, and several hundred bullets later I found myself atop the apartment building, my ship hovering a building down, twenty feet higher than the roof I was currently on, and over the street. It wasn't perfect but the jump would be easy  
/with all three boosts and a blink.

But someone stood between me and the ship.

"Stop!" Cheerleader ordered, her submachine guns raised at me.

I blinked confused as to how she got her before me but ignored it as Bastion's gatling gun was still focused behind me in the street which let me know the others were still down there.

"Don't make me hurt you." I warned getting low and drawing one of my knives.

"You won't." She quipped back and she blinked at me. She struck fast with a kick to my head and I back stepped it. I slipped my knife upward, and she spun around me with grace that even the angel lacked, and drove the side of her gun into my side.

To my relief she didn't unload on me, but she kept going and kicked me in the back. I spun and struck low; my blade slicing at her leg. I stuck true and cut open her legging and the very tip of her skin.

She grunted but didn't stop, which told me the wound wasn't going to slow her down at all.

I rolled away, but she was behind me the moment I was standing and drove both her feet into my back. I stumbled forward.

My knife swung in a large arc behind me but I missed, then she reappeared in front of me and drove a fist into my face. I took the brunt of it, but drove my knee up catching her in the gut.

She squeaked and blinked back.

Her hand rested over her gut and her eyes glowered at me. I rolled my eyes and raised my knife.

Suddenly her eyes went wide and she dove backwards as bullets riddled her position. It was a sow rate of fire, so that assured me it wasn't Bastion, but I could care less so I turned on my heel and ran for my ship.

I reached the edge of the roof and boosted off. Bullets trailed after me, and more flew by me back at the roof, and I boosted twice more before blinking and landing on the ramp of my ship in a heap.

Instantly the ramp started closing and Bastion's fire ceased as the ship jerked forward and took off into the air.

With a sigh I stood up, barely noticing Bastion changing back into his more human like form, as my eyes landed on the ships second occupant.

Hana was there, leaning against the wall with a somber smile on her face and Last Word at her side.

"Well who would've guessed the gaming legend is talented with guns." I joked with a smile, slipping my helmet off.

"Please." She rolled her eyes and tossed me my gun.

I caught it and it disappeared in a flash. "For real though, thank you."

She gave me a nod and I looked at Bastion, his little light eye blinking with anticipation. "Both of you."

"Wheee!" Bastion beeped happily, and even though I had the translator I had no idea what he was saying. Probably something similar to a cheer I figure.

Dig then appeared and I looked around the small hangar of my ship. It was slightly crowded with several tool boxes, my sparrow, a few random boxes of personal items, Bastion, myself and Hana all taking up space. Then there were the stairs that led to  
/the rest of the ship.

"Bastion, are you comfortable here?" I asked, kicking one of the boxes as I started towards the stairs.

*Yes friend Nate! Bastion, is grateful for place to stay and is why Bastion is helping to save Friend Nate when friend Dig asks.* The robot replied, my translator doing the work for Dig.

Not gonna lie his grammar sucked, but it was kinda funny.

"Well if you say so." I chuckled.

"Nate!"

I turned around and looked down at Hana who was following right behind me, her arms crossed, are looking at me like I was crazy.

"What the hell just happened?"

"Oh yeah the box!" I blinked and Dig floated up to us materializing the back box in my hand.

Her eyes went wide and she landed closer. "What is that?"

"No idea, but if I had to guess it has information on who wants you." I said, my voice growing hard.

Her eyes narrowed and she grew dangerously silent.

"Plus, we know the blue assassin chick is also after you." Dig added. "And that whoever wants you dead also wants him dead now. It looks like this whole thing was set up for Nate to get taken down one way or another, by eater those pricks down there,  
/or whoever they are."

"But they didn't count on Bastion here, or even you I bet." I smiled and my armor disappeared, my leisure clothes replacing it.

Hana nodded and started to walk past me but I gently grabbed her elbow. She stopped and looked up at me, raising an eyebrow.

"Seriously Hana. Thank you."

She smiled, but it was sad. "It's the least I could do."

And with that she walked through the sliding doors and into the rest of the ship.

I stared after her.

Confused, but grateful.

 **"You want to fuck her."**

 **"No… so just shut up already!"**

* * *

Black smoke filled the room, and it grew darker than even the night itself.

A figure formed, and a mask of bone took the place of a face.

"They got away." The voice was deep and resonant.

There was silence, if only for a moment.

"Let them." A new voice stated, digitized and electrical. "Let them kill each other. All we need is the girl."

Silence, then the smoke spoke. "Dead?"

"Alive. Things have changed. I want her alive."

"Why?" The bone spoke to the darkness, to the walls of the room, and to those that heard beyond those walls.

The second voice spoke once more. "Because we will make her talk. And once I have what I need, you can do with her what you need."

The bone was silent, and slowly the figure returned to smoke, wisping out of the room without any reply.

The second voice chuckled coldly. "Oh Reaper. Stealing the life force of someone else must be quiet the pleasure…"

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Hey guys so sorry its been a bit longer than usual. This chapter was longer, and I had to rewrite a few scenes because they didn't fit. Hopefully the increased length will make up for it.**

 **Anyway onto the story, Overwatch vs Nate! And the score is!….. Nate kinda got his ass kicked. Sure he didn't really get hurt, but he was defiantly getting pummeled at every turn against all four of them. Still, we saw how he fared on a few one on one's.**

 **Also Bastion's back! For a moment…. He hasn't really had time to shine, but I mean since his last appearance its been more sneaky, steely stuff, which the giant lovable robot isn't too good at. Hana's here too, and though she doesn't have a lot of action, she does have a small talk with Nate and we see how survivors guilt is starting to get to her.**

 **Widowmakers here too, but she doesn't do much other than lose to Nate, which is kind of expected when she fights him in close range.**

 **Then there Reaper… What does he want with Hana? What does his mysterious 'friend' want?**

 **Now onto the reviews:**

 **Walrus Puncher: Thanks! I'll correct it from now on.**

 **Guest: It's extremely difficult to write well, and with little time. I do what I can, plus the updates have only gotten longer with every chapter, though I wouldn't expect to write anything over 10,000 words.**

 **banditobane: Satienene Rapier is a scout rifle. Last Word is a hand canon. Raze Lighter an exotic sword. 1000-Yard Stare is a sniper. The Last Big Thing is a shotgun.**

 **Blue writer 22: well he killed himself in secret here… So yeah…**

 **Guest: Genji helped them here in finding Nate. Whether or not he told them about Reaper isn't said.**

 **Guest: Reaper did get injured he just shrug sit off, his bulk suggest his suit is armored. Also Genji's sword and abilities are almost magical. In the wiki his super is stated as a magical dragon, and since light is solar light but with magical properties, it makes sense that magic can affect other magic. Idk about the gear stuff.**

 **Arc-Angel-Of-Fire: Without good build up, then dramatic moments are useless. Too many dramatic moments and the effect wears off. Plus, he's not fighting amateurs. He's fighting combatants who are either as skilled, or even better than him. Genji's proven he's better with a blade and Tracer's prove she's faster. He did die here, he's not invincible, but it's not public either. I can tell you this; even a Guardian can only keep their powers secrets for so long.**

 **ecoolasice: Not really. Except here she sort of acknowledges him, but she could care less for making new friends right now.**

 **Beep Boopson: No and yes. Here, it different guardians who have worked together to do everything, not some omnipotent guardian who's done it all. In the 2nd or 1st chapter he states how he was there when the assault on Atheon happened, though he only held the vault open and didn't actually venture inside. He also killed several of Skola's lieutenants, but the only one he really was apart of is Crota. He states that he was there when Crota fell.**

 **SilverstormXD: Theoretically. And here the overwatch characters show they can be serious and are a force to be reckoned with.**

 **Nv34: Like every week and a half.**

 **Well there you have it. The next installment of the Darkest Knight.**

 **There will be a poll regarding this story and possible love interest's for Nate and other characters so be sure to check it out and vote. Warning: I'm already sure who he'll end up with in the end, if he survives that is, but this is for that and to see if he'll maybe have other relationships before the end game.**

 **Hope you guys have a great week! God bless!**

 **-Metal4k**


	7. Chapter 7

**The Darkest Knight**

 **Part I: The reforming of Overwatch**

 **Chapter 7: Rio again**

* * *

Warm.

That's what I felt as the golden caress of warm water washed over me.

It was soft, like the plush feeling of a thick cotton blanket, and it was warm like a breath of fire over my skin, fire that was calm and controlled and soothing. Like a spark of life.

But it was only a shower.

A shower that still stunk of sweat thanks to my battle. Sure it hadn't been long but in the rain, in my armor, and fighting, caused me to sweat a lot.

Honestly though it as more of an excuse for me just to get away from everything. I just needed some quiet which is why I even told Dig to leave. Of course he couldn't leave me entirely, but he had materialized somewhere else on the ship which was close  
/enough.

I leaned against the metal wall, letting my muscles relax. They were tense, the feeling of adrenaline and of death being so close made it hard to not be. Sure I could revive, but I hate dying. It was a cold, empty experience, and every time you came back…you  
lost just a little bit of yourself…

I shook my head.

Kathy had pointed it out to me a few years back, when we were both still young Guardians. Well, I was a newbie and she was just old enough to be a veteran.

It had been a dark day and I had just come back from a scouting mission. I was up in spirits, laughing about had I had single handedly taken down an entire scouting party of Fallen. I had had too much to drink, and I said something about how I had comeback  
to life then rammed my knife through the Captain, laughing how I was un-killable and not even the darkness could keep me down.

Kathy had decided then that I was too drunk and needed to sleep. She walked me to my room in the Tower, but it my stupor I had mouthed off, saying how she worried too much and since I could never premaritally die I was immortal and she had no reason toworry!

She slapped me. Then she told how I was wrong. She told me of her brother, of a man who died in the darkness, who had been brought back to life by her Ghost at the same time she and her sister, Valerie, had been and in the same place. They weren't reallysiblings,  
at least we didn't know if they were, but they were close enough.

She told me how he didn't come back and thinking I was immortal was stupid and naive.

It sobered me up a little, but not enough. So she told me how she had died.

She told me how after she was brought back, on the mission her brother had died, that she couldn't even remember her brothers name. She had been mortally wounded next to him, but Valerie had managed to drag her out and she died where her ghost could reviveher.

But when she woke she didn't remember his name. Valerie had to remind her.

She told me of the whispers among Guardians, of how with every death we lost a memory of our new life. We lost feelings of hope and pride. We lost a little bit of ourselves every time we died.

I was immortal, but I didn't want to lose myself.

I couldn't forget them. I couldn't forget her.

I'd never forgive myself if I did.

With a sigh I reached for the handle in front of me and turned it till the water completely stopped. For a few moments only the hum of the engines surrounded me, a chorus of dripping water droplets accompanying it as I stood still.

Finally, content with my moment of serenity, I walked out of the shower and dried myself off. One done I changed myself back into my relaxing clothes, my jeans and shirt of course, and with a quick tussle of my hair to try and rid some of the excess water,I  
walked out of the restroom.

The moment the door slid open I knew I was in screwed, since D'Va was standing there, her arms crossed, lips pursed, and eyes narrowed at me suspiciously.

This was gonna be fun…

"You ok?" I asked, stopping in my steps and tussling my hair once more as if nothing was wrong before glancing around. Dig was nowhere to be seen but the familiar warmth that suddenly filled my head told me he was once more fused with me.

"I talked to Dig."

Well that was helpful.

 **"What did you do you shit?"** I growled in my head.

 **"Nothing! I swear!"**

I blinked and waited for her to elaborate, but she didn't. So I replied, "about what?"

"I asked him about what happened and he told me who you fought." Her tone was harsh, but it wasn't comforting either. It was like in between, like she was trying to figure out a secret. Whatever that secret was I had no idea. Obviously it wasn't aboutmy  
abilities, or at least it didn't seem like it was.

I raised an eyebrow. "You mean smurfette and the cheerleaders?"

"No not the blue woman." Hana shook her head. "The others. Overwatch."

For a moment I paused and looked to the ceiling. Where had I heard that name? I rummaged through my memories of my time here, turing to see where that name came from.

Then it hit me. Dig had talked about them when we researched this world! He said they were… uh… heroes or something of the sort? Damn. Guess I know how much attention I was paying to Dig.

"Uh well, I guess?" I replied unevenly, not really sure what to say even though I kind of, barley, knew who she was talking about.

She narrowed her gaze even more. "How do you not know who they are?"

"I don't read the news a lot." I shrugged, and gave her a playful smile. She just glared.

My smile broke when she said, "They stopped the war. They brought down the Omnic armies and saved the world. They were disbanded? They had dozens of hours of news coverage! It's impossible to have not heard of them!"

Slowly my heart started to accelerate. If they were that big, then she had a point, plus she was smart so trying to lie and say I lived in some sort of outcast town in the middle of bum fuck nowhere wasn't going to work.

However, I could still slip by. There was one way I could talk my way out of this.

"All I knew at the time was the war." I replied, looking away from her eyes and at the wall, my own face growing hard as the memories came back. "I had a friend named Kathy. She… we were close, and we survived together. We moved from place to place anddid  
what we could to stay alive, we didn't have time to sit and watch TV or read a newspaper."

Nothing I said was a total lie, I was simply giving her vague truths. I continued, "one day we were caught off guard. A big Omnic came at us and…"

I shook my head. Now I was lying, but hey what can you do?

"I wasn't fast enough. I wasn't strong enough."

Fire clouded my vision, green and potent, and the stench of death filled my nose.

I saw his sword, felt his power.

"She died, but I'm still here." I sighed and closed my eyes.

Hana didn't respond and I took the silence to take a deep breath. I filled my nose with warm air, letting the oxygen fill my lungs and rejuvenate my cells.

I… I felt heavy. I normally did after talking about… it. The deep breaths normally do wonders to lighten my heart, but right now I could only think of the fire. Of _him._

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Hana open her mouth to reply, but I beat her to the punch. I had to keep up the charade. "So I don't really know who Overwatch is. I've heard of them, but I haven't spent my time looking into them. I was trying to keep  
/someone alive… and I failed."

Instantly she looked away and I saw her face twist from suspicion to guilt. Well shit.

Now I feel bad. But I had to keep going. She would suspect something otherwise.

"So here I am now, pimped out in badass armor, and hunting down the true assassin of someone who did nothing wrong, because I won't fail again. I won't let you die because I failed."

She didn't move.

"I won't let a friend die… Not again…"

She rubbed her arm and I saw her lips purse once more.

I shook my head and started to walk past her when an arm shot out an grabbed mine. I blinked once as if to confirm what my eyes were really seeing. Hana had actually reached out to stop me.

Hey maybe she stopped hating me!

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to accuse you of anything… I was just confused." She apologized, though I could hear how hard it was for her to speak. She was proud and saying sorry obviously didn't come naturally to her, but she did it.

I gave her a soft, warm smile. "Its fine. You didn't know."

She sigh and let go of me, shaking her head as she stood up next to me. "It just doesn't make sense. Overwatch, they're heroes! Tracer, Winston, Reinhardt! They're the good guys! Why would they attack you…"

"Because I think someone set us up."

Her eyes turned to me and she raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Dig," I said and my friend appeared in his usual showy fashion, "we found that black box right?"

She nodded.

"Ok so, I'm willing to bet that hotel room belonged to our random assassin, now he had no official business here seeing as he's a small time school teacher from the Untied States, but aside from that this black box was hidden inside the TV, and someoneput  
it in there. Now," I gestured to Dig and the black box appeared in my hand before I turned around and started pacing.

"That woman, this blue skinned sniper I met in Rio, broke into the room while I was inspecting this thing. That fact that she didn't instantly fire and didn't just snipe me from outside suggested that I wasn't supposed to be there, so the only thing that  
/she wanted was this." I shook the box.

Hana rubbed her chin and slowly sat back down. "But why?"

"No idea. Dig still has to crack it, but besides that when I ran to the roof she attacked me, I beat her, but then those Overwatch guys cornered me and asked me to surrender because they thought I kidnapped you and killed your friend. I started to explainour  
situation then sniper shots from all around rained down on us. For that coordinated of an attack, one that lead to the sniper chicks escape, it had to have been a set up. My guess is she was out in the open to draw either me or these Overwatchguys  
out and end us with one strike after collecting the box. Then there's the fact she's working with Vape God who's already tried to kill us both."

"So…" Hana started, her eyes focusing on the ground so intensely that she probably could've melt a hole through the metal, "that man, with the skull mask from the roof, he's working with this sniper?"

I nodded, but continued pacing. What was their plan? Kill Hana and these Overwatch guys? Kill me? I could get killing me, I was a nobody here, but Hana and these Overmatch guy are a big deal. Killing them would just draw attention.

So why?

"Ok," She drawled, "but… no… Ok so those snipers attacked you?"

"Yeah and got me and Overwatch shooting at each other." I growled realizing now that I had played right into their hands. Of course whatever their actual play was I had no idea, but I knew that I had at least given them a royal flush with turning Overwatchagainst  
me.

"A distraction most likely." She stated.

"Probably, but for what?" I replied. "What could they gain form us fighting each other? Sure we'd be divided, but I doubt these Overwatch guys would have much trouble refocusing their efforts if sniper chick and vape became a bigger threat than a fakekidnapper."  
I stopped and rubbed my head.

"I bet that whatever it is they're doing is on that box." Hana said pointing at the device in my hand.

I tossed it from hand to hand. "Which is probably why its security is stupid advanced. Dig, won't have it broken for a while and thats saying something."

"So what do we do now?" She asked.

I blinked once. I hadn't really thought about that.

"I don't know, but those Overwatch guys are really gonna want me now. They'll be on the look out, along with whoever tried to kill you, and then there's the police…" I sighed. "I swear everyone's trying to kill me now."

She chuckled darkly. "Overwatch wouldn't hurt you."

I raised an eyebrow before laughing, "yeah the day Dig doesn't become a shit head."

"You're just exaggerating." Hana replied, and entertained smile on her face.

I shook my head. "Exaggerating what? The fact terminator tried to cut me in half and tried to kidnap you?"

She blinked her smile slowly fading. "He was probably just trying to save me. Like you said they thought you kidnapped me.

"Well yeah but doesn't take away the fact that guy would've taken off my head if I'd given him the chance. I'm also pretty sure thor down there was willing to squish me like a bug with the giant ass hammer of his." I retorted.

"His names Reinhardt, and I don't think he would've killed you."

"Hana, he would've killed me. I pretty sure all of them would've given the chance." I frowned and eyed her cautiously. She was being really defensive of these guys.

"Then we should try talking to them." Hana argued. "I'm sure they'll understand!"

I shook my head again. "Tried that remember? Not to mention negotiations were already sour the first time. Now that I supposedly kidnapped you and tried to kill them? Not a chance in hell they'll let me talk. They'd probably cuff me and send me to prison  
beforebelieving a word I said. Hell I bet if I put up a fight they'd off me in a heartbeat."

"You really think they'd kill you?" She scoffed crossing her arms and leaning back against the couch.

"How do you think they ended the Omnic crisis?" I asked my voice growing dark. "You don't end a war by just showing up at each others houses and throwing rose pedals everywhere. You get it by killing and by someone giving up."

Her eyes met mine. "They're heroes. Here's don't kill."

"Everyone kills." I shot back.

She glared at me, but something else was with it… something like anger, like genius hurt. "Hero's protect and save people. They don't let others die, and Overwatch is the best of the best! No way they'd stoop as low as killing someone without hearing  
everything they'd have to say!"

At that moment I realized how screwed up this poor girls world had become. Sure I wasn't much older, but I had no memories of a life before, no memories of peace and happiness. I only had memories of war, of death and fire.

Of bullets flying by me, and screams filling my ears.

I had been breed in war, in death. I had seen the worst of the worst, done and seen things that would haunt even the most staunch and powerful guardians. Kathy had seen those things as well, and she had been a Guardian longer than me by three years. She  
hadbeen in nothing but war even longer than me.

But Hana… She was young, innocent at heart. She'd never really seen the slaughter of war, or the horrors its darkest moments provided. She'd fought a few omnics here and there, or the giant one that was straight out of a monster movie, but she'd neverbeen  
in the grit of it.

In trenches and tunnels fighting with everything you had just so you could take one more step.

Yet now, after her best friend died before her eyes, she was seeing that a group she had held on the highest pedestal, a group she had seen as heroes, was just as dark as those they stopped.

She was vocally rejecting it, but in her eyes I could see the truth of acceptance. It would suck, but she had to grow up.

The world wasn't a video game. Hero's don't have the luxury of not ever killing.

My voice turned soft as I spoke, "Hana, as of now they see me as threat, as someone who kidnapped a nineteen year old girl and tried to kill them in cold blood. They're going to come after me."

"Then what do we do?" She asked, her shoulders slumping. "If the good guys won't help us, and the bad guys want us dead…"

I didn't know what to say. My plan was kind of on hold for now, with the encrypted black box and all, and well I had no idea what else to do unless you counted the idea going after Vape and Terminator for some good old pay back a plan.

I mean what was I gonna do! Hana here was counting on me to find her killer and…. and… I glanced at her once before looking at the wall.

God I'm an ass. This is her life yet I'm acting like I'm in charge of it! She doesn't know what to do sure, but she's not asking for someone to boss her around. Besides, all of my plans have kind of sucked.

But she still needed someone to look out for her. She was good at fighting, but she was still naive enough that this line of work, this covert and shady shit we were in would get her killed. Plus I was her best shot of staying alive against these assassin's.

Besides I couldn't just leave her on her own now. She was a friend. The only one I had here aside from Bastion and Dig. I wasn't going to let some asshole just kill her. Not without a fight.

So, with great reluctance, I shrugged and gave her a small smile. "I'll do what you do."

She blinked and gawked at me, though her gawk was only a small shift in her posture and raised eyebrows rather than a full blow jaw dropping scene. "What?"

"Hana, it's your life on the line, it's your friend that died. If you want to go to Overwatch and talk it out fine. But you decide what we do. My line of evidence is kind of dead in the water till Dig cracks that damn box." I stated, though I was reluctant  
asI said it.

Honestly I don't know if I'd stick around if she wanted to go to Overwatch, cause you know, they'd probably lock me up, but I had to let her decide in the end. It was her life after all.

"What options do I have?" She started her voice growing louder by the word. "I can't go to the police cause I doubt they'd believe me without proof and they'd just end up chasing you, and apparently Overwatch can't be trusted either, and…. ugh…"

She scratched her head and frowned. "Someone's trying to kill us at every turn… The skull guy, that metal man with green eyes… Why does everyone want to kill us!"

"No idea…" I muttered, pursing my lips. It was frustrating not knowing why someone wanted you dead. "Maybe… I don't know. We bribe some people for information?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes and you'll be our one man army."

"I wish. Even I'm not good enough to protect you forever."

She frowned and looked away from me. My eyes traveled to the floor. It was true. But… I'm a Guardian yes, but I'm one man.

Even I can't protect her forever, even if she fought with me to the last breath. There's too many variables, too many scenarios. The ship only has a limited fuel supply so I can't lock her up here forever, and besides she probably rather die than be confined  
/to this place for the rest of her life.

"We could go to Overwatch…" she managed, looking up at me with soft eyes.

I shook my head and hardened my own resolve. "We can't."

"Why?"

"Hana they'll arrest me, or kill me, and God knows what they'll do to you. They may lock you up because you're trying to side with your kidnapper and they'll deem you insane or some shit!"

"We have nothing else Nate!" She threw her hands up. "So what do we do huh! Please tell me in your oh so glorious wisdom!"

Her voice was harsh and for a moment I regretted saying it was up to her.

With a deep breath I replied, "Hana I don't now what to do. I can help you brainstorm, but ultimately it's up to you what we do, I just don't think going to Overwatch is a good idea."

She glared at me but relaxed against the couch. "Then what do you think we should do?"

I blew out a gust of air and rubber my neck. "I'm not sure…"

Her glare started to harden but I raised my hand to stop her from saying anything.

"Ok," I started, "from a purely rational, and logical standpoint, Overwatch would be a pretty clear cut plan of action but we honestly have no idea if they'd even listen. Aside from you being alive theres no other proof of anything we know, and I did  
endup fighting them so who knows how they'll feel about us approaching them. Then theres also the option of the box."

I motioned around me in a circle. "See we could follow wherever the back box takes us, but we have no idea how long it'll take Dig to break it. It could be weeks. Months even… And that sounds like way too long for us to just sit on our asses and twiddle  
ourthumbs. We could also back track to any of their previous operations and see what we can find, maybe a new lead will pop up or something…"

She nodded slowly, then looked me in the eye. I could see the gears turning in her head.

I wonder what she was thinking.

* * *

Hana stared at the man before her.

As of moments ago his fate was in her hands. This man, who she barely knew, who had saved her life several times and had gone above and beyond the line of duty to find out who was trying to kill her. And she didn't even ask of this help, he just…. did  
it. 

Yet he was at odds with those she knew were good. With a group she knew was filed with heroes. She didn't believe the controversy surrounding Overwatch. They ended the war, they saved the world! They stopped Doomfist!

But now the two were at odds.

She didn't know what to do, but Nate made points. With Overwatch, it was a gamble. They could believe them and help, or lock Nate up and put her in some hospital for injuries of for a psych eval. The black box would take forever, and she was willing tobet  
by the time Dig got it open it would be too late and the bad guys would have already disappeared.

Then there was the other option of back tracking. It was an unknown variable. What would they find? What else was there to find if she was honest…

Nate spoke like he had met them before but he hadn't really mentioned it to her. Maybe it was irrelevant… Maybe it was just a smokescreen because Nate was lying and wanted her dead and was just using her.

Her teeth clenched.

Gah! What was she supposed to do!

Was she supposed to trust the man who was protecting her without reason? Who saved her without hesitation? Or trust the heroes that were willing to kill and that she had never met?

What was the smart thing?

What was the right thing?

* * *

I waited and gulped as Hana opened her mouth.

Please don't say Overwatch…

"We could back track."

I smiled and nodded. "All right. Where do you wanna go?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, where have they been? Skull mask and the sniper."

"Rio." I replied. "There was a heist there and…" I blinked a few times as my mouth hung open, and the lightbulbs started going off. "There was a heist and the sniper and Vape were there. they fought me, and… what if they were another distraction like  
they were here?"

Both our eyes went wide.

"Then they could've been apart of the heist… What could they have stolen?"

"Im willing to bet anything they were apart of it. They wouldn't have stepped in to distract me if they weren't. Dig," My Ghost floated closer to us, having floated away to give us space. "What did the heist consist of? What did those men take?"

He twirled once. "Well, from what I'm reading, it was your attack that made the headline, but! They did report that a local record company called Janerio Records, was robbed that night."

"A record company?" I asked, utterly confused. "I doubt Vape would want old vinyl CD's."

"Maybe not…" Dig said, "but I've set several programs in motion to go through our American school teacher assassin mans profile's, credit cards, and all that jazz. And guess what I found in some of his banking accounts."

Hana narrowed her gaze. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Lets just say he got a lot of money, and two chances to guess from where." Dig replied.

I chuckled darkly. "Janerio Records."

"Bingo. It was hidden well, but no well enough."

"So they were paying off our assassin teacher, and got robbed the night of the heist." I stated. "But that doesn't make sense… They pay off someone to kill Hana then they're own people steal what from them? Records?"

"Or super advanced sonic weaponry…"

Both me and Dig turned to the gamer girl.

"What do you mean?" I asked, eyeing her carefully.

"Hypothetically, what do we do if we know of a person with super advanced sonic technology, and a robin hood complex, that happens to work for said record company?" Hana replied softly.

"You know such a person?"

She grinned softly. "I love his music."

* * *

"Ok so explain to me one more time how you know this, Lucio guy?" I asked, careful to avoid the well polished employees of Janerio Records.

Hana walked in front of me, headed straight for the front desk with a confident smile plastered her face. "I met him at one of his concerts. He performed in Japan for a local fundraiser and I went and ended up with VIP tickets. He's apparently a fan ofmy  
gaming so we got each other's autographs and hang out whenever he's near Korea, but he's got this new record deal here so he doesn't come around as often."

I nodded, still not entirely sure of her plan to bring in a complete unknown into our whole mess. But she seemed to trust him, so whatever.

"And he's this friend of yours that uses sonic technology to fight the good fight right?"

"Right."

"And you assume that our heist could've been for his tech?"

"Probably. What else would they steal?

I couldn't help but nod in agreement. She had explained how Lucio had stolen some sonic related technology and used it to upheave a corporation that had been exploitingthe city of Rio. He definitely sounded like a Robin Hood type dude.

I just hoped her view of him wasn't skewed enough to trust him with everything. He seemed good, but people had betrayed their friends for the smallest of things.

Of course who was I to talk about trust when I was lying to her still about… well almost everything.

At least she knew now that she was staying on a ship, hence our quick arrival in Rio. That was fun explaining, but fortunately she bought the whole I built it with the help of a dead friend named Kathy, also a lie, so I didn't have to go into detail because  
shefelt bad brining up Kathy again.

Kinda shitty I know, but hey what can ya do?

By the time my thoughts had run their course we were already at the front desk, where a woman sat going through a computer.

Nobody bothered us which was probably because we were both dressed like normal people. Hana wore short jean shorts,and had a tang top with a light jacket and a baseball cap over her head, tilted down to cover her face while

her hair was up in a ponytail, with said tail stuck through the back of the cap. I was dressed in jeans, a dark blue T-shirt, and also had a cap though mine wasn't tilted low since no one aside from Hana had seen my face.

"Como posso ajudá-lo?" The lady, a dark skinned beauty, asked with a pleasant smile.

"Uh…" Hana started, an awkward smile on her face as she rubbed her head. "I don't speak… Brazilian?"

The woman let out a hearty laugh. "American I presume?"

Hana shook her head. "Korean."

"And with such proper english?" The woman raised an eyebrow. "That is something you don't see everyday."

Hana narrowed her eyes and gave a challenging grin. "Well I'm not your everyday girl."

The woman once more laughed heartily. "I can see. Now, how may I help you?"

"We're here to see Lucio."

The woman raised an eyebrow and looked us both up and down. "I don't believe Mr. Dos Santos had any appointments today, since he's not even here."

Hana's grin dropped and she sighed. "Do you know where he is?"

The woman shook her head. "No and even if I did I can't give out personal information like that without consent."

Hana frowned. "Well thanks anyway."

"Anytime, now if you would." She waved us away and the moment we moved a man took our place, asking about his meeting at two. A hand on my arm pulled me away from the scene and I quietly followed Hana out of the lobby and into the streets beyond.

I side stepped a couple laughing, obviously drunk despite the time, and frowned as a man rudely bumped into Hana before sauntering away like it was her fault.

However the nineteen year old ignored all of it and only started down the sidewalk with a determined look on her face.

I started after her, pulling her back so she would slow down before asking, "hey, you ok?"

"Fine." she stated, shrugging me off.

"Uh," I mumbled quickly stepping in front of her before stopping her with a hand on her shoulder. she glared up at me but I ignored her glare and added, "you don't seem ok?"

"I'm fine." She smiled. "I'm just trying to figure out where he could be."

"Like old hang outs and the like?" I asked, letting her step by me as we then continued down the street.

Downtown Rio, well the fancier part of it, was pretty cool. We passed massive skyscrapers, and the greenery with abundant parks was a beautiful show for all to see.

Shops adorned with colorful signs, stainless windows, and golden and silver trinkets that appealed to the wealthy and earned the jealousy of the poor lined the streets. Hundreds of people walked about their business as usual in big cities, and cars zoomed  
byas the day to day life of Rio went on without a hitch in its flawless run. Omnic's mingled in with the people, mostly accepted amongst the locals it seemed, thought a few glances were shared between the two species that hinted at lingering  
resentments fromthe war so long ago.

How many had lost family to the omnics? How many omnics had died in persecution since?

Hopefully it wasn't as bad as our war… Well obviously it wasn't. Humanity was still thriving.

We were obliterated and on the brink of extinction…

"Earth to Nate?"

I blinked and realized I had zoned out, the warm brown of Hana's eyes meeting my own eyes. I shook my head. "Sorry I kind of zoned out there."

"Obviously."

"Shut up," I huffed, pushing past her. "You were saying?"

"I was saying," she started as she caught up to me, "Lucio has a girlfriend last I checked, only thing is I have no idea where she lives. We could probably ask her to find him, but yeah…"

I nodded. "Well fortunately for us, we have a super advanced hacker friend who can probably find out."

"Great." She said, though I couldn't tell is she was amused or annoyed? Honestly its so hard to tell what her deal is half the time. Like she's either pissed or annoyed, or ready to laugh, or-

"Well shouldn't we get back?" She said, once more knocking me from my thoughts.

"Or we could just message Dig to meet us here." I replied, looking around us to make sure no one was eavesdropping. To be honest it was a long shot since there were so many people around.

She went wide eyed. "How? You have a phone?"

"More like a com in my ear. Near microscopic, plus he can teleport." I added, ushering her across the busy street, which we took in a rush power walk before the traffic started moving again.

"Okay." she said with a shake of her head.

"Well we need somewhere more private. I don't think a teleporting ball of light is gonna go unnoticed by this many people." I replied.

I saw her nod and she gestured to a store to my right.

"Hungry?" She asked.

I turned and looked at the store. Some place called Mc Donald's. Never heard of it. I shrugged. "Why not?"

Together we went in, and though I had initially anticipated people staring at us, no one was even looking in our direction when we entered. We were just like everyone else, two civilians entering to enjoy a meal. It was nice not having people staring  
atyou.

Or shooting at you.

"So," I started as Hana lead me to the line in front of the cashier, "they serve burgers?"

"Basically. They're pretty popular just about everywhere. One of the few chains to survive from before the war." Hana informed.

"Interesting." I said though I didn't really care. I was busy trying to figure out what I wanted. The smell was intoxicating.

It took a few minutes and by the time we were at the cashiers I made my decision. A plain burger with fries. I informed Hana of my decision and headed off to the restroom for some pace and quiet. Well so I could talk to Dig actually.

A few moments later I found myself standing in a stall, door shut behind me, and with a flash Dig appeared. He spun around and instantly I saw his shell sag. "Really? A dingy restroom?"

"Hey I needed someplace private." I replied. "Anyway have you located Lucio yet?"

"Well, I haven't found him, but I did manage to find his girlfriend like D'Va suggested. His girlfriends some hot shot movie star down here in Brazil. Super famous and very fine if I might add."

I rolled my eyes. "And where does she live?"

"Oh easy. Here in downtown. The penthouse of the building called the Verdant. Its some fancy apartment complex, costs like six thousand per month just to rent the place, and this girl owns the penthouse." Dig replied.

"Awesome thanks." I grinned and with flash Dig once more disappeared. I pushed the door open and the moment I stepped out some teenager was at the sink, staring at me with wide eyes through the mirror.

It took me a second to realize that he must've heard me talking to Dig…in a stall… by myself… I raised a finger as if to correct him, but his bewildered look killed my response and I just lowered my head and walked outside.

Hana was seated close to the back, behind a decorated wall that shielded us from outside. For I moment I wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that behind the wall no one could shoot her from outside.

She had our food, and gave me a small smile, "what'd our friend say?" Suddenly her eyes tracked behind me and she raised an eyebrow.

I glanced back and saw the kid from the restroom walking by, still staring at me like I was nuts. A single glare was enough to get him to skirt away.

I sat down and grabbed my burger and fries. The grease smelled awesome. "Well, Dig found your dudes girlfriend. Apparently she's some hot movie star."

"Did he find out where she lives?"

"Yeah nearby in a penthouse."

She took a chunk out of her own burger, a small blob of mustard marking its territory on the corner of her lip. She nodded and wiped her face. "Good, we can go there after we eat."

"I'm totally fine with that." I took three fries at a time and smiled as the salt and grease mixed with my mouth. Damn that was good. Hell when was the last time I ate? I know I don't have to eat to live, being a Guardian and all, but it keeps me strong.

Maybe I should eat more often?

After about twenty minutes of small talk, where I found out that Hana apparently likes pop music more than rock which is unacceptable, we left the small restaurant and returned to the streets.

The after taste of the burger was good, and my stomach was more than happy as I took the directions Dig fed to my head, which I told Hana he had previously supplied so as to avoid the revelation that Dig was actually a part of me.

We walked though the streets, around trees and dozens of civilians, barley avoided being hit what I swore looked like a damn burrito truck, Hana threw the driver a couple of choice words which was hilarious, and finally we walked up to the giant white,  
/steel, and glass apartment complex that looked at least twenty stories tall.

I whistled and crossed my arms as my eyes followed the windows up. "Damn tall for an apartment building don't you think?"

"It's not all an apartment building. The lower levels seem to be offices for some company." Hana replied from behind me. I turned and saw her looking at the building guide.

"Find her floor?" I asked.

"No… It only lists the companies office and floors, nothing about the apartments or penthouses up top."

"Eh, I already know the number, lets go." I pushed open one of the glass doors and let Hana in before me.

She turned and glance up at me as we started through the lobby, a grand place with fluorescent lights and marble floors. "Wait so if you knew why'd you let me look?"

I shrugged. "I got bored."

"So you choose to let me read things for no reason?" She asked.

I once again shrugged, subtly scanning our surroundings just in case any was following us. "More or less."

She shook her head, a grin on her face. "You have a strange sense of humor."

"I'd like to think of it as ahead of its time." I replied as we made it to the elevator, where the machine opened up for us courtesy of its current occupants exiting on the ground floor.

We slipped into the elevator once it was empty, three others from the lobby joining us, and Hana moved to the floor buttons on the side. "What floor?"

"Eighteen." I replied, leaning back against the wall as the other three told Hana what floor for their own destinations. It took her a few moments to understand what they were saying, you know language barrier and all, but once she got it the elevatorstarted  
moving with a ding and we patiently waited.

Since we had to make three other stops, it took about five minutes to reach the eighteenth floor, but once we did we walked out of the elevator and headed straight for the only set of doors down the hall.

They were large white wooden doors, and we saw the handle and lock plus a small keypad. Obviously this girl prioritized her security.

"Do we just knock?" I asked as we stopped in front of the keypad.

"Duh." Hana replied, knocking on the door without missing a beat.

"Rude." I scoffed. She ignored me.

We waited in silence, but after about, I'd say thirty seconds, the lock inside clicked and the door swung open.

I gulped as the woman before us leaned against the door frame, eyeing both of us like we were pieces of meat with a sly grin on her face. She had dark long hair, thick with curls and ran down to the small of her back. A dark green dress clung to her form,hugging  
her curves and showing off enough back and chest to make anyone blush. Her eyes were amber and her smile was infectious.

"Bem, o que temos aqui?"

"Uh," I stammered doing everything I could to keep my eyes on her face, "well, I know you said something about being here? But we speak english…"

"You know Spanish?" D'Va asked, glancing up at me.

"I don not speak Spanish little girl," The woman suddenly spoke, her words as sweet as honey. "Our language is Portuguese."

I blinked, "aren't they like the same thing?"

She grinned, a slick smile on her face. "What do you want children?"

"I'm not a child," Hana started, "but I'm here to see Lucio."

The woman's eyes lit up with recognition. "Lucio!" She called out, turning heard slightly into the penthouse. She turned back to us and smiled. "He'll be right out. May I ask how you know him?"

"Old friend." Hana smiled.

Amber eyes narrowed at brown. "Uh huh."

Fortunately another voice entered the fray, "Hana Song?! 'You're alive!"

The voice was cheerful and full of inflection, and belonged to darker man about my height with dreads. His arms were raised in greeting and he was dressed in basketball shorts with a muscle shirt.

"Lucio!" The asian called back, and she jumped up to the man, enveloping him in hug that he returned with just as much enthusiasm.

"She's a hugger?" I blinked and tilted my head. Hana always seemed… too… closed off to be a hugger.

Dig replied, **"guess so. Shows how much she hates you."**

I ignored him since Lucio's next comment caught my attention as he pulled away from Hana. "I thought you got kidnapped!"

"No," she chuckled grimly, "but it's a long story."

"Very long." I muttered, but my comment was heard and Lucio looked at me.

"What's your name man?" He asked, a smile on his face as her offered up a hand to me.

I took his hand. "Nate, nice to meet you."

"You as well man." Lucio grinned, he turned back to Hana. "Ok so, what exactly happened? You've been missing for almost two weeks!"

She sighed.

"Can we come in? I'd rather get comfortable before starting."

* * *

Once our story was finished, about half an hour later, Lucio's friendly cheer towards me had changed to one of suspicion. He wasn't openly hostile, or even disrespectful in any way, but I would catch him keeping his gaze on me, and I could see him tenseevery  
time I moved.

We kept the details to a minimum, leaving out the facts like Dig could teleport or that Dig even existed, and other details like about the fact I had a ship, etc… you know the basic Guardian stuff.

Still, Lucio and his girlfriend had yet to call the police on me, seeing as I was still a wanted criminal in Rio for my earlier fiasco with Smurfette and Vape God. So that was good news.

"So," Lucio started, leaning forward on the plush couch that, along with another couch, a love sheet, a giant ass TV, a sick stereo system a-, "to sum everything up, he didn't kidnap you and has actually been helping you try find your real would be killer,who  
you both believe are aligned with a man in a skull mask and are now enemies of Overwatch?"

He took a deep breath and furrowed his brow when he looked at Hana. His gaze never turned to me.

I glanced at Hana and saw her looking down. She gave a small nod then said, "yeah, basically."

"Why shouldn't ve call the police on mister Nate?" Lucio's girlfriend, who's name was Júlia, stated with an awful unfriendly glare towards me.

"Because he's protected me." Hana replied. "He's had more than enough chances to kill me, but he's saved my life twice instead."

"One of which was because he stabbed you." Lucio added, his frown pointed at me.

I rolled my eyes. "It was an accident."

"How so?" The man asked, crossing his arms as he leaned back.

"Enough." Hana replied. I shot her a raised eyebrow, but she only looked at Lucio. "He's a friend ok? If you can't trust him, then trust me."

The couple gave me a frown, staring at me like I was something distrust-worthy.

Lucio shook his head. "All right, fine. Question though why did you come here? I mean, why us? Why not go to… anyone else?"

Hana sighed. "We looked at our choices and…" She looked at me.

I then continued, "we figured tracking our attackers past actions was our best shot at tracking down whoever orders them around."

He raised an eyebrow. "So you came here why?"

"You know about the fight I had in the streets? That one that made me like number three most wanted in Rio?" I replied.

"Yeah I remember." Lucio replied, "your shoot out was on the news for days, and almost leveled an apartment building."

"Anyway," I stated, giving him an annoyed glare, "the shoot out only leveled the building because skull mask and the sniper bitch tried to kill me. I had to fight them both off. So, since they were here, yet there was still a heist even after I tried  
/to stop said heist we thought about why they were here. Obviously not just to kill me as I was an unknown at the time, but they only intervened when I tried to stop that heist, which meant that they were trying to cover something up. After we lookedinto  
it we found out that a record company was robbed, but of what the reports didn't say so Hana here." I motioned to the girl next to me, "told me about her famous friend here in Rio. A robin hood sort who fought for his people and kicked out thelecherous  
corporations trying to ruin your neighborhood, and uses advanced sonic weaponry to defend his home."

"Me." Lucio finished.

I nodded.

Hana then continued for me, "so we came to ask… do you know of anything that was stolen?"

The room grew silent and Lucios gaze turned only to me. His eyes were calculating, wondering I guess whether or not I could really be trusted.

I can't say I blame him. The story we sold was far fetched, hard to believe even for the most trustworthy of people. I just hoped Hana's friendship in Lucio would win out.

His girlfriend however seemed less inclined to be forgiving with me. The sweet words of honey and milk, the devouring and sensual eyes she once had were now replaced with disdain and mistrust. She only stared at me, martini in hand as her boyfriend thought  
/about what to say.

Im surprised she hadn't kicked us out yet. She must really trust Lucio's judgment to be dealing with us still.

"Look," I started, "if you don't trust me fine. Just tell us what you know. The longer we wait to find her would be killers the longer they get to plot other ways to kill her. I've stopped them twice but I don't how much longer I can thwart them."

It was an honest statement.

Hana's glance to me even affirmed my own suspicions. She had been thinking the same thing too.

I was good yeah, but twice they had almost gotten past me. It wouldn't be long till they struck again, and if I was a betting man, then my money would be placed on an all out assault. One that even I would have trouble stopping.

We needed to figure this out or-

"All right." Lucio sighed, interrupting my thoughts. "I used to store some of my equipment at the warehouses near the docks. It was stolen about the time of the heist. They didn't inform me immediately, thought I wouldn't care about the outdated stuff  
/but…"

He sighed again and shook his head. "What would they use my old stuff for anyway?"

I leaned back against the couch staring up at the ceiling as I did so. "No idea… but thats why we need your help."

He raised an eyebrow.

"We need to see what they stole, figure out what they could possibly use it for, and see whether or not they have any video of who took it. You're the one who knows the tech the best." I stated, hoping he would catch on.

"You need someone to get you into the warehouse." He replied, nodding slowly. "Someone who can show you what they took and what it can do."

"Yup." Hana added.

He sighed again. "All right the warehouse is down at the docks. I can take one of you down there with me to gather up my old things. Two of you would draw attention."

Immediately I knew what he was saying. He didn't trust me enough to take me down there, but he would take Hana. He trusted her enough. Whatever, so long as we figured out what they took, and who took it.

Hopefully it could lead us somewhere, but there were definitely more people I could ask. More sources. If a heist happened in Rio, then who else to ask than the dirt bags that controlled the underground criminal empires?

"So when?" I asked, careful to keep my voice controlled and my face unreadable despite my newest plans.

"We'll go tonight, but I can only take Hana. Like I said, too many peo-"

"Draws attention, yeah yeah." I waved off his words. "It doesn't matter. I have a few thing I need to do tonight anyway."

Hana looked at me with wide eyes. "you do?"

I grinned back at her. "I still have friends you know! Im gonna check my own sources and see what I can find out."

She raised an eyebrow. "And who're these sources?"

"Would you be mad if I said the gangs of Rio?"

* * *

"So the guys obviously well armed, but my question is, why did Hana Song protect him?" Mercy asked, her brow furrowed in confusion. Usually the kidnapped person would flee the first chance given form their kidnapper.

She and the other members of the recalled Overwatch sat around a large rectangular table, plates set before them with various meals. Lena was directly to her right, Winston and Reinhardt across from them, Tobjron to her left, and Genji to the left of  
/him.

The mess hall was large enough for about forty people, but it was only them for now, and hardly any light were on since there were so few of them still.

"My guess is he might've been telling the truth…" Lena replied, a small, sad smile on her face. "Why else would he have said he didn't kidnap her and then she defends him?"

"It's possible for a victim to fall in love with their kidnapper. It's called Stockholm syndrome. It can get sever enough for the victim that they actually defend they're captor." Winston informed.

Reinhardt sighed. "I douvt it. He vas skilled, but did not seem to harbor any ill."

"He shot at us though." Mercy replied, though it was weak and unsure.

She honestly had no idea who to feel about this new vigilante. His words had seemed genuine but they he shot at them just after they were ambushed by what they all guessed were Talon agents.

"Then there's the fact Song was capable of shooting when her injuries should've kept her in the hospital for a month. We saw the blade enter right under her heart, and the bullets that hit her. How is she still standing?" Lena replied, mindlessly picking  
/at her mashed potatoes.

"If I helped her its possible, but none of my technology is public. Its to dangerous if reversed engineered." Mercy stated. She was unsure how to feel.

She felt as if something bigger was at play.

Winston sighed heavily. "We don't know anything. At least not enough to take it to the authorities."

"Love, the authorities probably want to arrest us too." Lena laughed. "Besides, we need to find this vigilante ourselves. There's no way the police can handle him. He stood up to five of us, and he didn't seem to want to harm us."

"Ve don't even know know if he'shuman." Trobjorn stated.

"And he's dangerous no matter what we think." Winston frowned.

Reinhardt clasped his hands together. "Then vhat are we to do?"

The group was quiet.

No one had any ideas that aligned with one another. They could arrest and take down the Vigilante, or bring him in and talk.

Then a soft voice broke the silence.

"What we do," Genji started, "is what we have always done. Do what is right. We find him, and bring him in without harm, and figure out his dealing with Mrs. Song."

"Sending all of us would be overkill. I don't think he's fond os us trying to forcibly bring him in." Mercy replied.

"Then we send one. One he's familiar with."

All eyes turned to Lena.

She went wide eyed.

"I've only met him twice!"

* * *

 **A/N So heres the next chapter. It was supposed to be close to 20,000 words to make up for the fact I haven't updated recently, thanks to being sick, summer school, etc…, but I decided instead to split the chapter in two that way I can update next week on time. So sorry about the wait.**

 **Not much action here, more of just Plot building and character building. Lucio's now here!**

 **Reviews:**

 **Guest: Um we have no idea what Guardians care about, however seeing as guardians still carry personalities, frustrations, and wants, as shown by the Taken King cut scenes, one can assume they still have human desires, sex and relationships included. Not to mention theres no proof that they don't mind dying. If they didn't why do players, and Cayde avoid dying as much as they can?**

 **Lord Revan Flame: Shadowshot will come into play soon, but Soldier… He'll be here before the Arc ends.**

 **SlightlyOff7: Thanks! :D**

 **Guest: Where Nate fights with intent to kill… Hmm. Well you'll get that soon. ;)**

 **Guest: Actually the Taken King hasn't happened yet, or at the least didn't happen when Nate was apart of it. He has Raze Lighter, but for in this interpretation there are only three exotic swords in all of existence. How he acquired it will be explained later.**

 **Bluesword777: He's capable of using all three subclasses.**

 **Blue writer 22: that would be hilarious! Dig's enough of a prick to do it, but he hasn't had a chance yet. Don't worry though I'm sure the ghost has something in mind.**

 **Highlord: Gotta agree with you on most points except that Mercy genuinely kept him on his toes with her attack speed. Of course Nate, wasn't straight up turing to kill her, but he was still hard pressed to keep her at bay. Haha I think Nate and Ana would get along even less in a romantic fashion than him and Tracer.**

 **Joking4ever: Will Nate work with Overwatch? Can't say cause it'll ruin the story. Romances won't happen till later. There needs to be proper build up, also the mysterious person is not from destiny.**

 **Lord Razer: We'll find out soon why Talon wants Hana alive now.**

 **Courier47: Thanks dude! :D**

 **Stay tuned for the next chapter within the coming week. It'll be a lot more action packed, and we'll get to see snippets of what Talonr really has planned. Also… well a pissed off Nate will appear if you know what I mean.**

 **Thanks for reading as always! Please Review! God Bless you all!**

 **P.S. Good luck to anyone starting school!**

 **\- Metal4k**


	8. Chapter 8

**The Darkest Knight**

 **Part I: The Reforming of Overwatch**

 **Chapter 8: The Conductor**

* * *

Hana Song watched as the bright lights of Rio's downtown metropolis raced by the window before her, the loud roar of the cars engine filling her ears. The bumps and jumps of the road caused her head to bounce, her hair falling in front of her once again to where she was forced to blow it out of her face.

Her thoughts, though on the surface occupied by the sights, truly lingered on Nate and on whatever he was doing. He was cryptic when he said 'the gangs of Rio'. He had then taken off with only a goodbye and the simple instructions to stay with Lucio till he returned, which of course meant go to the docks since thats what Lucio had stated they would do.

But even thought she was staying with Lucio and headed to the docks like they had agreed, she still wanted to know where he was, what he was doing. She honestly didn't know what he did on a regular day since he'd spent the last few weeks protecting her.

What was he doing?

"So this Nate guy…" Lucio started, his voice soft from the drivers seat. His foot pressed the brake and the care came to a stop before a red light.

"What about him?" She asked, not meeting his eyes as she continued to absorb the sights around her. She'd never been this far west.

Lucio cleared his throat. "Do you really trust him?"

She blinked once. "Yeah. Mostly. At least enough to keep me alive."

It was true, she really did. Maybe not enough to call him close friend, but enough to trust him.

"Hana, he stabbed you." Her friend pointed out.

"It was an accident." She retorted.

Lucio shook his head. "You can't tell me that was an accident. The whole world saw the video of him shoving his knife into your chest!"

"It was an accident." She snapped, glaring at her friend as the car once more started to move.

"How?" Lucio asked, glancing at her with a frown.

She sighed. What was she to say? Nate barely talked about this… Kathy, this special someone. She died, and she could tell when he spoke of her that whatever happened to her had hurt him far deeper than even the most grievous of wounds.

Did she have a right to mention it to Lucio?

"Hana?"

She pursed her lips. She could at least say what was wrong with him right? So long as she didn't talk about the cause. Her mind made up she replied, "I think…. I'm pretty sure he has PTSD…. Like, serious PTSD…."

The driver failed to comment so she decided to continue. "He mentioned someone named… Someone that died in the war. Whatever happened must have been awful… I can tell whenever he mentions war… He… I don't know."

"So he lost someone special…" Lucio concluded.

She nodded. "From the way he talks about it… yeah, they were pretty special to him, but I don't know who they were. Like I said, he doesn't like to talk about it."

The man next to her pursed his lips as the car started forward again. "But how can you trust him just cause he lost someone? Hana, a lot of people lost someone special, but they don't go around stabbing the people who protect them."

"He told me he had a flash back. That, something I did triggered him and he…. he just reacted. He panicked I think. He freaked… And plus he's had like twenty chances to kill me if he wanted. Or he could've just let me bled out."

"Let you bled out…" Lucio grunted.

"Stop." She glared.

Her friend shot her a curious glance. "Why?"

"He's done nothing wrong." She replied.

"You care for him don't you?"

She blinked and opened her mouth to reply but hesitated. What was he getting at? She closed her mouth and hardened her look. "What does that mean?

"I mean, do you care for him. Not like romantically, but like a friend. A good friend."

She glanced at the dashboard of the car. "I don't know."

"Is it…" She heard the hesitation and swore she would hit Lucio if he said- "is it romantic?"

"I trust him ok?" She instantly snapped. "That's it."

She crossed her arms and turned away.

"Promise me you'll be careful all right? No need to having the worlds biggest video game star dying on us." Lucio grinned.

She smiled lightly. "Just promise me, if he turns out bad…"

"I've got your back. You know that." Lucio heartily laughed. She nodded, the man did keep his word. Not to mention he had experience with taking out bad people, though an rotten corporation wasn't exactly the same thing as taking down someone like Nate.

Was it?

She wasn't sure.

"But, even if he is good, he's not gonna wreck Rio right?"

She chuckled lightly.

"No. He's pretty good about keep things close to the chest. Trust me."

* * *

" _ **Let the bodies hit the floor, let the bodies hit floooooorrrrrrr!"**_

Loud music blasted my eardrums as I jammed my elbow into the mans gut before spinning and crashing my heel into the second man that dared to charge me. The second one flew back, and the first stumbled before I drew my knife and buried it in his leg, drawing Satenine Rapier with one hand and blowing the second man's right arm clean off with one shot.

I dashed at a third man who managed to get off a few shots from his pistol, which off course just reflected off my shields, and I rammed him with shoulder, slamming him against a wall and effectively cracking the dry wall.

" _ **Let the bodies hit the Flooorrrr!"**_

I uppercut him with enough force to knock back a Fallen Captain and his head snapped back, rendering him unconscious or dead. I wasn't sure, but hopefully he wasn't dead. Either way its not like he was innocent. I'm sure he has a long list of crimes, considering the way he had acted towards the waiteress before I interrupted.

Either way I'm not fond of hurting other humans, but in the Last City there were gangs that threatened to disturb the peace, so Guardians were normally sent in to clean them up. I've done my fair share of cleaning up, so it's not new to me, hurting humans.

I kicked a chair up, grabbed it a tossed it a fourth man who was just coming in from the back of the dinners kitchen. It shattered as it hit him and he flopped to the ground.

Still, it sucks hurting people, and I'd prefer not to, but when a bunch of gangbangers start shooting at you and trying to kill you and the poor innocent waitress just because you were asking around, well… lets just say pissing off a Guardian is a stupid idea.

I turned and aimed my rifle at the fifth and last man standing, a six foot tall, three hundred pound giant with a shotgun pointed at me. "All right tinkerbell, so talk or you end up like your friends."

I gestured to his unconscious friends around me, littering the diner with their forms, the poor waitress silently shaking against the wall.

The man dropped the gun and raised his hands. "I'll tell you whatever you want." He spoke in english in my helmet, courtesy of the quick fixer-up translator Dig made for me.

I nodded and lowered my weapon. "The docks were robbed not long ago. A heist, same day I showed up and almost leveled an apartment building. Who did it?"

"I- I don't- I don't know! No one knows!" He said, visibly shaking as he backed up against the wall.

I shook my head and fired my rifle into the roof. "That's one for lying. You don't want to see two and three."

"I only heard about it!" The man rushed out. "Some say that Francis at the docks knows what happened! He runs everything down there!"

"Could've just said that earlier…" I sighed. "Thanks tinkerbell."

With that I lunged, and with one good right hook, knocked the man out.

"Hmm." Dig mumbled. "Well, you took out thirteen goons in less than three minutes. New record. Nice."

"Eh" I replied, carefully stepping over the bodies and opening the door. "Sorry about the mess!" I called out to the waitress before slipping out into the night.

I turned invisible, and within a few minutes, I was back on the rooftops, moving and scanning the city of Rio from on high. I found a comfortable spot on the the tallest skyscrapper, and draped my legs over it.

I leaned back on my hands. "Everything points back to the docks. No one knows about anything other than the docks."

"We should probably head down there. Hana and Lucio should be almost there. At the very least we can look into the places they can't. More eyes is always better." Dig replied.

"Tell that to a Fallen Captain. Those fuckers are ugly." I laughed.

We had parted with Hana ways a few hours back, me heading to contact the gangs and Hana staying with Lucio till they moved on to the warehouse at the docks. Initially I felt a bit of concern leaving her with him, but at her reassurance I left them be.

I trusted her. Maybe not so much Lucio and his girl, but I trusted Hana. Hopefully Lucio didn't convince her to call the police on me or try to trick me into surrendering or some crap. But that's why Dig was monitoring all police channels as well as Lucios phone, to make sure the man didn't put Hana, or myself, in harms way.

Of course he was also using it to track their location so I could see where they were just in case Vape God inconveniently showed up as usual.

Either way, Lucio seemed nice, but sometimes being nice and having good intentions lead to shit consequences. I would know.

"All right." I stood up. "Give me a waypoint for the docks."

A white marker appeared on the hud of my helmet and I instantly lunged off the building, using my blink and boosters to ensure I landed on the next highest roof. Then the next, and the next. I was like a ape, climbing and jumping through the urban jungle of Rio.

It was kind of fun.

And finally twenty minutes or so later I landed with a thump on top of a large purple bus, don't ask me why it was purple, and felt the metal bend under the weight of my armor.

I frowned and gently trotted forward as my invisibility washed over me. I laid down, careful to keep my eye out for anyone who might've seen me.

Of course I'm sure someone somewhere saw me, but I was looking out for the cops. Didn't want them coming after me right now.

Didn't have time to deal with them you know?

I bided my time as the bus headed straight, but a few minutes later it made to turn left, forcing me to leap to another vehicle; a truck where the driver saw me and went wide eyed before screaming since my invisibility cut out a moment too soon.

"Sorry!" I yelled back before leaping to another bus, a long yellow one.

I landed, and rolled, doing my best to keep quiet as I once more went invisible and laid down. It would be faster to use my sparrow, but that would attract cops, and well we didn't need those around.

So the process of leaping between vehicles continued. A few people saw me as I continuously leapt from car to car on my way to the docks, but fortunately no cops did.

I yelped as the tall eighteen wheeler I was on headed under a bridge and I was forced to flatten myself against the roof.

The sounds of rushing air screamed all around as we slid under the bridge and moments late popped out on the other side.

I shook my head. No way in hell did I want to become a pancake!

I leaped to another, fortunately shorter, truck.

Thank God the docks weren't far.

Playing leap frog was only so much fun…

* * *

Hana Song stopped a few feet behind her friend, nervously rubbing her arm and eyeing the dark spots all around them. There were too many places she couldn't see into, too many places those who wanted her dead could hide and wait.

Currently Lucio was talking to the security guards in front of the warehouse where he kept his old equipment. They were laughing and though she was close enough to join the conversation, she decided not to.

She felt wrong.

She could feel eyes watching her, following her every movement. She was sure someone was following them.

She had felt it the moment they parked and got out. Who was following them? Was it really one of those who wanted her dead? A stalker?

Had someone recognized her?! What if they posted a picture of her on social media? On Facebook or twitter?!

Overwatch would find it! Who wanted her dead would find it!

They'd come for her, for Lucio for-

"Hana?"

She jumped and looked wide eyed at Lucio who stood before her.

"You coming?" He asked, eyeing her curiously as one hand was pointed over his shoulder at the now open warehouse, courtesy of the two guards before it.

She shook her head and calmed her racing heart with a deep breath. Nate was rubbing off on her.

She was getting way too suspicious.

"Sorry, just thinking." She smiled, walking a few steps forward. "Lead the way."

Her friend took his cue and started into the warehouse, to which she followed.

The guards both gave her a warm greeting, which she politely returned, before she walked into the warehouse.

With a creak the doors shut behind her, and she shivered involuntarily. Why did being here feel so wrong?

 _Nothings wrong Hana…_ She scolded.

 _Nothing…_

"All right so all my stuff's in the back under lock and key. Janeiro didn't want it getting in the wrong hands so we came up with a super advanced biometric locking system." Lucio explained as they walked through the dimly lit place.

Massive shelves lined the floor, filled with various items, most of which she could barely recognize. Swap lights hung from the roof, casting circular glows on the concrete floor beneath them, and giant vents pumped fresh air into the warehouse from above.

For most of the walk they went on in silence, Hana observing their surroundings while Lucio simply whistled some tune he had written.

She sighed and looked up at her friend, smiling softly as she said, "so how'd you meet your girlfriend?"

Lucio stopped whistling and chuckled. "Ah its not some sweet romantic story. I was at the store and I bumped into her."

She frowned. "That's really boring…"

"Hey its the truth! I fell, she helped me up, and Romeo and Juliet from there!"

She rolled her eyes. "Then what do you want to talk about?"

"I don't know. Music?"

"You write music. Doesn't talking about it now just seem like overkill?" She asked as they turned one corner.

"Nah."

Again, she rolled her eyes. "Okay… so… uh… Oh! Why didn't Janeiro tell you about your stuff being stolen right away? You mentioned that earlier."

"Well thats the thing," he shrugged, "nothing was taken."

That caught her attention. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, the company didn't tell me because nothing was actually stolen…"

Hana stopped in her tracks. Her eyes narrowed dangerously at Lucio and her hand twitched in anticipation. "You told Nate something was stolen… you said-"

"I know, I know." He held up his hands, "just let me finish."

She bit her lip.

"So nothing was stolen, so they thought. I came down here a few days ago and ran my own check through everything and found out several things were missing, but they weren't like, big big things so Janeiro's investigators missed it. I wasn't lying." He started walking once more, his brow furrowed.

"What did they take?" She asked, cautiously following him, her hands resting on the small of her back, where the pistol thing Nate had given her was hidden beneath the light jacket she had. Sure it bulked up but Lucio didn't ask about it so it didn't matter.

"They took exactly three things, the amplifier I have, well had, the concentrator, and a prototype generator I was working on." Lucio replied. "Only the amp was even halfway built. The rest was barely in its blueprints stages."

She raised an eyebrow, slowly catching back up to him and pretending like she hadn't reached for her weapon.

"I don't get why'd they steal that stuff. None were even close to being developed, like I barely had the new advancements implemented. Street value it might make sense to steal it and sell it, but you'd get more buck if you sold the physical stuff I had."

"Why do you think they took that stuff?" Hana asked, glancing at the roof where skylights were void of light thanks to the night.

"Beats me, but it was supposed to be my new suit. Strong sonic blasts meant to root people in place instead of knocking them back. Would make catching crooks easier, but I can tell you if they got someone smart enough they could probably have developed it themselves. Probably already have."

She frowned. "They probably want it to catch someone."

"But who?" Lucio replied darkly, his brow dropping and his shoulders sagging as he shook his head. "If what your pal says is true then he interrupted their heist but they still got away. If they have the blueprints and built it then why not use it to catch you? Or Nate?"

"I don't know…" She sighed. To be honest, to her, the smart thing would've been to use the tech on her and Nate and off them both. Of course they, whoever they are, had the chance already to do that but neither her nor Nate had come across such tech.

So why would they have it and not use it?

"So many questions and yet no answer. Perfect right?" Lucio grimly chuckled.

She didn't reply as they turned the corner, heading somewhere to the- her eyes narrowed slightly. At the end of their path was what looked like a room. It's door was massive and obviously made of metal, a keypad next to it.

"That's my workshop. Six inch steal doors with biometric scanners and surrounded on all sides by twelve inch thick concrete walls." Lucio smiled. "Almost impenetrable."

"Almost." Hana muttered soft enough that the musician failed to hear her.

A few moments of silence later and they found themselves standing before the door, Hana crossing her arms as Lucio reached for the scanner, which was blinking with tiny green lights.

"Once we're inside I'll show you the copies of what they took. Maybe then we can-"

 _Beep._

Lucio frowned at the now red scanner. "What?"

He placed his hand on the palm reader again.

 _Beep._

"Lucio?" Hana asked, turning around so as to watch the shadow wrapped parts of the warehouse.

"I'm the only one registered to open this… well me and one of the stockholders and Leon, head of security. Otherwise, I'm the only one who can change this thing…"

He huffed, and reached for his phone. "I'm calling Leon. Gotta figure out what's going on with my workshop."

It was quiet and the sense of unease started to die when-

"My call failed…"

The way his voice dropped set off alarms in Hana's head.

"Lucio?" She asked, warily looking back at him.

He spun on his heel glancing up at the roof, before dropping his phone and eyeing the roof. "Somethings blocking my phone."

She looked up and saw… something.

Shadows dancing above on glass windows above. Shadows.

Instantly he grabbed her arm. "We need to go now!"

"What're you-"

 _Crash!_

The glass above them shattered and the lights died.

* * *

Fifteen minutes…. Wait no twenty…. Well maybe it thirty but… Ah fuck it.

Honestly, I don't know how much time passed before I found myself standing in front of the large fences that separated the docks from the streets. All I knew was that I was finally here!

Stupid Taxi driver took a wrong turn…

Anyway the fence ran around the entire docking complex for several miles in either direction, and in the distance I could see large cranes, warehouses, and several large container ships hanging out in the bay. There were a few cranes too, but they were just kind of there.

Lights were sporadically placed about from what I could tell, but it looked relatively abandoned thanks to the time of night.

"Where are they?" I asked, cautiously approaching the front.

"Towards the back, in warehouse… forty two. They've been there for about twenty minutes, but it's weird cause the signals all fuzzy. I can't get a lock on her position inside."

"Strange…" I frowned.

"Probably the shit signal inside a giant warehouse."

"Probably." I replied before looking at the security station to the right of the massive front gates. Yellow light bathed the area in light and two people were sitting down inside, one a large man and another a smaller woman.

Their backs were to me.

I squinted. Odd.

They're security right? Seems bad that their not even facing the front.

"Just find the cameras and find Hana. Make sure they're both in one piece. Poor Lucio might be burnt to a crisp if she treats him even half as bad as she treats me."

"Oh stop whining." Dig chided.

I ignored him and started forward, still barely covered in the night embrace.

"Huh… There's no cameras in the immediate area, at least none that are on… Strange. It's like anything connected to surveillance equipment was just turned off. Really weird considering this place is probably loaded with cameras to ensure nothing gets stolen." Dig stated.

"Maybe they can't afford to keep the power on?"

"They're a shipping company. They make millions dumbass."

I shrugged and kept going forward instead of responding, wondering how I could talk my way through this as my armor disappeared, leaving me in just regular clothes.

I was starting to like walking around in regular clothes.

"Hey guys!" I called out as I reached the front window and crossed my arms.

They didn't move.

"Hey I'm looking for a man named Francis?"

Still nothing.

"Guys?" I raised an eyebrow and started to get even closer.

 _Drip._

My eyes went wide as I finally caught sight of it; blood, dripping down the side of the woman's head. And more of it dripping from the mans back, his black outfit making it hard to see form afar.

Instantly my armor reappeared over me and I raised my scout rifle and swept the entire area behind me with one swift spin.

"Dig, check them." I stated, my eyes narrowing dangerously.

I felt my ghost leave me and as I turned back around, after determining no one was indeed watching which was strange considering how big the city was, he returned almost instantly and I could feel his anxiety sky rocket.

"They're dead Nate. Two clean head shots and a body shot to the man."

Head shots. Smurfette was here.

"Get me to Hana now!"

Instantly a waypoint appeared on my hud and I opened my palm. The docks were giant and on foot no way I'd be fast enough to reach her before smurfette did.

My sparrow appeared before me and I leapt on, slamming on the thrust as I did. I shot forward and my sparrow broke the gates open, shattering the locks holding it closed. The hum of the boost filled my ears as I sped up and shot past dozens of crates and containers. Cranes sat in the distance, and warehouses started to race by me one by one.

"Dig, do you have access to any of the cameras at all? Even a fucking cellphone camera?"

"No man! Everything's offline!"

"What about security? Any radio signals."

"No, somethings jamming all radio frequencies!"

I grit my teeth as I hit the brakes and took a hard right turn, leaning sideways as momentum pulled me. A quick flick of my wrist and my sparrow accelerated once more, kicking up dust as it shot forward and through the maze of containers.

My eyes quickly glanced to the waypoint, and I hit the brakes once again as I hit another sharp turn, drifting around the corner and barely avoiding the edge of a pile of crates.

Finally the waypoint became clear; a warehouse down the lane between the containers, right next to the waters edge.

Yellow light shined deviously above the front doors, and the windows above were dark. Then there were the two bodies in front. They weren't moving.

I knew Hana and Lucio were inside, yet it was dark inside. Too dark, and I'm basically one hundred percent sure they didn't turn off the lights to a giant warehouse.

Something was definitely wrong.

I hit the brakes and slowed to a stop in front of the warehouse. I climbed off my ride, aiming my rifle at the doors, and sweeping the area as best I could. My sparrow disappeared and I looked back to the doors of the warehouse.

My senses were on full alert as I made my way forward, my rifle up and at the ready.

The gravel crunched against my feet with every step. I stopped in front of the doors and with one hand pushed the right one open.

The light on my helmet powered up as the darkness tried to swallow what little light entered from the outside with me. The first thing I noticed was that it was way too dark for anyone to see without help, let alone walk around. The second was the dead silence.

My eyes scanned the area and my hud instantly went into night vision mode. The green hue appeared so I started into the warehouse though extra care.

I'd had more than enough experience with dark places and ambushes, so I knew I was walking into one. Of course though, I had to go in. I had to find Hana.

"Dig, any luck on finding out what the hell is going on?"

"None. Whatever's blocking phone and radio signals is somehow keeping itself untraceable. I really have no idea what we're walking into." Dig replied, concern riddling his voice.

I huffed. "Well shit."

My steps were light and each one was planned to ensure I made as little noise as possible. A few years back, Cayde had left me out in the middle of the cosmodrome on some test to see how stealthy I could be.

Of course it took me dying two times to figure out that there were snipers literally everywhere and being sneaky was the only way for me to get out of there since fighting just got my head blown off.

I kept a close eye on my motion tracker, but made sure to keep my rifle moving left to right as I walked through the maze of giant shelves.

Nothing was out of place, and nothing made a sound. Only the faintest noise from the city miles away was audible and even then it only sounded like the smallest of rumbles, to the point I almost even forgot a city was nearby.

It made me uncomfortable, the giant shelves and crates laying around in the darkness.

The silence.

I kept going, my breath even. My heart beating steadily.

 _Thump…_

My trained body swept the entire area with practiced precision. Nothing escaped my gaze.

 _Thump…_

not the crates stacked upon on another.

 _Thump…._

Not the lack of air conditioner, or the strange swap lights hanging form the roof.

 _Thump…_

Not even the flicker of green fire-

 _Thump! Thump! thump!_

Green fire! No! No!

My eyes went wide, the howls of thralls filled my head, my heart started to race, my-

"Nate."

I blinked and then it was just the warehouse in front of me, just the tall shelves and the darkness caused only by the lack of electrical lights.

It wasn't the _Darkness_.

I wasn't _there_.

"Breath man." Dig stated.

I swallowed hard, my throat already as dry as sand paper, and kept going, reminding myself that this wasn't the pit. Crota wasn't here. He's dead.

Remember that Nate.

I continued on for a few more minutes, but the longer I found myself in the pure silence and darkness of the warehouse, the more sure I was something was wrong. I turned the next corner I saw, and to my surprise found a complete open area, shaped in a square and surrounded on all sides by rows of shelves like the one I was next too.

It was only visible thanks to my night vision but-

Clank!

Suddenly the square was filled with light! The swap lights above had turned back on!

My grip tightened on my weapon and I backed around the edge of the shelf, only sliding part of my body around the corner so I was aiming right at the square.

The light coming back on wouldn't have bothered me if it wasn't for the fact the entire square was the only thing lit up.

Unfortunately literally nothing was happening, so I still had no idea what was going on here. Obviously something was wrong, but this was just… weird…

"Dig, can you find-"

"Leave me alone!"

I snarled, which was fortunately kept quiet by helmet, as Hana was suddenly yanked into the square by… someone dressed in all black.

How I had not managed to hear anything before was beyond me. Something was happening here.

They were easily taller than me, so definitely taller than Hana, and wore body armor. The helmet they had was thick and their eyes were red neon lights. Whatever kind of weapons they had reminded me of the very first weapon I picked up when Dig brought me back to life for the first time in the Cosmodrome.

The weapon wasn't much threat to me now, but as three more… soldiers, gathered around the first and Hana, who they were now gagging with rope to kept her quiet, I knew they could overwhelm my shields with enough sustained fire.

Hana struggled, kicking and punching at each of the men and scowling so viciously that I really did wish looks could kill. Finally one slammed his fist into her cheek and her head snapped to the side. Her eyes flickered as she fought the seduction of darkness, but her retaliation had stopped which allowed the men to drop a black sack over her head and her hands were tied behind her back with chains.

One of the soldiers reached for their ear and pressed into the helmet, nodding as if they were speaking.

"Dig, intercept that signal, find me whoever's in charge." I stated, waiting anxiously to jump in and rip these four men apart. I just needed to wait for Dig to find their leader.

I could end this whole charade in one night.

"One moment…"

I girt my teeth as the soldier looked up and I followed his gaze. The windows above the square were open and a rope started to descend.

"Dig…" I growled as the men tied Hana in the rope and yanked on it once. Then she started to ascend.

"Nate there's no signal! I can't find anything! wait-"

"Fuck it."

I blinked forward, drawing a knife and throwing it with deadly accuracy. It flew right at the first mans head and I fired at the second before it even hit.

Imagine my surprise when the blade went right through the man and my shot went right through the second.

"What the-"

"The Vigilante!" A voice suddenly roared.

The four soldiers and Hana's rising form suddenly flickered and faded from existence.

 _Holograms…_

I spun around and…. looked up… and up…

It… him… Fuck I assumed it was a dude thanks to the deep voice, but other than that it was a giant fucking machine. Tall and broad, at least twelve feet tall and standing at the end of the square, just where he would've been out of my line of sight from my earlier vantage point.

It was a sleek, polished metal armor with curves and no visible opening in it's design. It's head was shaped like an ancient kabuto. The mouth was covered in what resembled plate armor from when horses and arrows were the pinnacle of technology, and the eyes were a dangerous red like the soldiers.

Its arms were raised as a deep chuckle left it, and it took a step forward, drawing a massive sword from its back.

"How the fuck did someone build this in this primitive time?" Dig gawked and I couldn't help but nod in agreement.

I stepped back as Raze Lighter appeared on my back.

"Who the fuck are you?" I asked, my voice echoing in the warehouse as did his giant steps.

"I am the one who never sleeps. The third, as the one who never dies is the first, and the one who never misses is the second."

"Yay another cryptic fucker." I taunted, lowering my stance so I could dodge at a moments instance.

The sword was easily six feet long and he was closing the distance, I needed to be ready for when he struck.

He laughed once more and suddenly I heard footsteps all around me and my motion tracker started going off like a wild animal. I keep my eyes on the samurai wannabe and Dig informed me, "Nate, you're being surrounded. At least fifteen hostiles all armed like those soldiers were."

"You ran in here rather quick after you saw Ms. Song in trouble. Unfortunately you're about two minutes too late. She's long gone now. She fought rather valiantly but, too bad you can't save her now."

"If you tell me where she went I won't kill you slowly." I said, my voice dropping dangerously low.

They had Hana.

They had her!

My grip tightened on my weapon, and flickers of Arc started to roll over my arms.

"Haha!" the man laughed, twirling the giant sword. "She'll be returned alive I promise you that. But in what state she'll be in… let's just say no one is strong enough to resist torture forever."

I lunged, Arc energy pouring into my right arm. I blinked forward, effectively going through his sword swing and jammed my knife into his chest.

It sunk in, and electricity shot through the machine. Unfortunately it didn't slow down and a back hand sent me flying to the side. I hit the concrete floor and rolled a few feet before stopping. The sword came down at me and I managed to roll to the side in time so I wasn't cleaved in half.

Void power wrapped around me and I flipped up, awkwardly but the light kept me from hurting myself, so once I was upright I opened fire. My bullets hit their mark, his right side, but I couldn't see any visible damage.

The sword swung back at me and I ducked under it. I twirled around its body, blinking forward as I primed a grenade. I lobbed the sticky grenade at the machine and open fire once more.

Suddenly my shields started to flare as the soldiers behind me stared to open fire on me.

The grenade detonated, and I saw the scorch mark appear on the armor. Part of it seemed to weaken and it looked like it had warped under the heat, but nothing else had happened. I cursed.

I flipped back to avoid another sword swing and charged a second grenade, the arc bolt. I landed on my feet and tossed the grenade behind me before, in one swoop, swapped my rifle out for Raze Lighter.

I twirled it above my head just in time to catch the robot man's sword just as the grenade vaporized at least four soldiers.

He grunted something under this breath.

I grinned. "My turn."

Sol power flourished over my body and Raze Lighter shot upward, ripping straight through his sword. I spun and blinked at him, slamming my blade into his right arm. My sword melted it like butter, and I sliced it clean off at the hinges.

Bullets still hit me, and my shields dropped to half strength. Even protected by sol it wasn't enough to protect me from such sustained fire. I needed to end this guy.

I flipped my sword as I landed and spun-

 _Boom!_

I flew back into one of the shelves, denting its metal frame before falling to the ground and landing on all four, my sword falling-out of my hand and the flames of Sol extinguishing as its power was consumed in saving me. Unfortunately my shields had about a tenth of their power left.

I looked up.

The robots remaining arm… well it wasn't an arm anymore. It was a giant canon. Coils lined the inside, and yellow energy discharged from the back as whirring sound started up. It was aimed at me and the sheer size was insane.

I needed Gjallarhorn.

"Dig, I'm gonna use shadow shot. Give me Gjallarhorn on my command."

"Got it."

I slowly got to my feet and the robot took a step forward,as the soldiers behind it started flanking it.

"I'll tell Ms. Song you said goodbye." The man said, his voice dark. Obviously he was upset I ruined his giant suit. Asshole.

The whirring stopped, and the canon started to glow bright.

Purple shadows surrounded my hands and I narrowed my gaze.

I wasn't going to lose to this-

"Oh this place is jammed!"

Suddenly a wave of green shot over the entire area, knocking the men and robot forward, and washing over me. My shields suddenly quadrupled in strength, but the mans canon still fired right at me.

I grit my teeth and tried blinked, but my concentration had been broken. I failed to blink in time.

The blast of yellow hit me head on, tossing me like a rag doll, but as I flew back again, hitting and rolling to a stop on the concrete this time. However, I saw my shields had only depleted to half of their new strength!

I had no idea what it was but…

"Oh, fuck yeah!" I laughed flipping to my feet and raising my hands as Shadowshot appeared.

The mystical arrow shot forth and slammed into the robot. Lines of void power wrapped around the surrounding soldiers, rooting them in place and they wailed as their ability to move suddenly vanished.

"Now!"

The legendary rocket launcher appeared on my back and I grabbed it.

"What sorcery is this!" The man roared as his robot struggled against the dark power of the void.

I fired without responding and the rocket slammed into him, instantly vaporizing him, but the power of the blast was suddenly conserved and transferred to the surrounding soldiers still trapped by the void. They too were vaporized, or blown to bits by the attack and I simply released Gjallarhorn and it, plus Raze Lighter, disappeared in a flash of white.

"That guy was a class A asshat." Dig grumbled in my ear.

"Nate." Lucio's voice spoke up.

I stepped forward around and saw the man, now dressed in a green and blue outfit with some weapon that I couldn't even begin to describe in his hands. He also had roller skates? Or something like that on. Plus a backpack.

However my gratefulness was short lived. Lucio had last been with Hana. What had happened?

I stepped forward again. "What happened?"

He sighed. "I don't know. They set a trap. Waited for us to reach my lab and jumped us. We took down the first few guys, but we tried to run after that. Hana, I guess, knew we wouldn't get away. She hit me over the head with this after saying to find you once I woke up."

The darker man held out Last Word to me. I took it without replying and twisted it in my hand.

"I woke up under some plastic sheets and Hana was gone. Probably hid me after she knocked me out. I grabbed my stuff to go after her then I heard your fight so I came to help…" He shook his head and threw his arms behind his head. "I failed her man…"

I couldn't argue with that, but still I said, "don't worry about it, we'll find her."

"Dude they took her! The people who wanted to kill her! Why do you think they took her?" He exclaimed, obviously upset.

I sighed. "She's alive right? As long as she holds out then she'll stay alive. That's her best bet at surviving and by knocking you out and not hiding herself, she obviously knows that."

"Man, what do we do?"

I crossed my arms. "We find her, and kill those who took her."

 _Clap._

Instantly Last Word was raised at the top of the shelves were the sound came from. I could feel Lucio tense up behind me and prepare himself for another showdown.

 _Clap._

Boots. Heavy, and defining thundered as a person walked right to the edge of the light, covered in darkness and dressed in what I assumed was all black. Only their hands were visible, and the pale, rough skin did nothing else other than to ease my mind in the fact it wasn't Vape God.

 _Clap._

"So you are the vigilante who is so desperate to ruin our plans?" The voice was electrical, covered in static and was obviously using something to ensure no one would recognize them.

I knew Dig would set to work at decrypting their voice, but I had to keep them talking. Plus, maybe if I pissed them off they'd let slip wherever they'd taken Hana.

"And who exactly is we?" I asked, my shoulders relaxing but my aim staying true, right for where I knew their head would be.

The hands disappeared, and the boots made softer sounds as the person obviously started to walk away. "Now that would be telling wouldn't it?"

I growled and blinked up before boosting to the top of the giant shelves. Fuck this dude.

I landed and my night vision showed me exactly who I was now facing on top of the giant shelves in a warehouse.

They were indexed dressed in all black, but their face was concealed by a mask and hood. A black cloak billowed behind them, similar to my own, and their hands were clasped behind their back.

"Fascinating. Almost as fast as the pilot…" They muttered, and I could almost visualize the smirk on their face.

"What pilot? And where's Hana?"

The person turned away from me. "Oh you know the pilot! Cute, short, British. Much more attractive than the child prodigy wouldn't you say?"

"All right enough!" I roared and I lunged forward.

Imagine my surprise when my fist missed their head. Except I didn't just miss, they weren't even there anymore!

My first instinct was to think hologram like Hana's earlier plight had been, but the person spoke up from behind me this time.

"Tsk tsk. Not as much control as the pilot though, but as angry as the cowboy. Hmph. You're abilities are indeed interesting, much like Doomfist himself, though he of course was a mindless brute."

I spun and fired Last Word six times in less than two seconds right in the direction of their voice. I missed, but this time I saw their form shimmer and fade as my bullets virtually fazed through them.

I snarled and Sol powered wrapped around my free arm, and Golden Gun came to life. "Where's Hana!"

"To your right!" Dig informed me.

I saw the figure fleeing, leaping from shelf to shelf as they headed towards the exit.

"They're trying to escape!" I yelled out for Lucio, who I wasn't even sure was still around after I sort of ditched him on the ground.

I blinked after them and fired Golden Gun. The bullet missed at the last second, as they twisted just in the nick of time, and the bullet slammed into a crate, turning it to ash with a orange flash and blasting the other crates behind it to smithereens.

My feet landed on the next shelf and I blinked again. When I landed I rolled and fired off two shots with Last Word before complimenting it with another shot from Golden Gun.

The figure once more faded from existence and I went wide eyed as they repapered, this time over thirty feet ahead of where they had been, landed atop a crate with enough force to audibly crack it.

"Stop moving! Dig, lock onto them!" I yelled as I once more leaped from shelf to shelf.

"I can't! They don't have anything, not even a heat signature to lock onto!"

It was dark still, but the flashes of light from my weapons and my night vision made it clear as day for me.

The doors to the front of the warehouse came into view as a third shot from Golden Gun missed, and the figure landed on the second to last shelf before he reached the doors. I was too far!

I still had four more shelves to go! How did he get so far ahead!

"No!" I roared.

They had Hana. They were getting away!

I couldn't fail!

NOT AGAIN!

With a blind fury lightening swirled around my Sol covered body, replacing orange flames with white flickering light, and I instantly blinked forward three times, closing the distance instantly between us and using up the entirely of the power I could safely use.

But it was enough, and I landed only feet from the figure as they landed on the last shelf.

"You!" I roared and I blinked forward once more, drawing my blade and raising Last Word.

However I reappeared and the figure disappeared with a flicker, evading my shots and my swipe.

I spun and-

"Bonjour."

Two heels slammed into my chin throwing me back with enough force so that I landed on the concrete floor and slide to a halt about five feet in front of the door.

"I'll tell the girl you said your goodbye."

 _Boom!_

Something detonated, I was thrown back even further, my shields blaring and Dig yelling something in my ear to the effect of 'are you alive?'

The cold embrace of the night swallowed the flames from the explosion and I crashed onto my back, coughing as the air was knocked out of my lungs.

"Fuck!" I growled only seconds later, adrenaline pumping through my heart at a pace that would put even a race horse to shame.

I started to get to my feet when-

"Put your hands in the air!" A voice suddenly said, though the electric buzz on the translated voice caused me to freeze.

I blinked and turned around.

Police cars, sirens, and at least a dozen police officers surrounded the warehouse, and were all armed to the teeth. They… They set me up! Again! Fuck!

I saw the flicker of yellow behind me and glanced back.

The warehouse was on fire. All of it.

God only knows if Lucio even made it out.

"Hands in the air!" The man repeated.

I grit my teeth. They were in my way!

"Look!" I started. "I need to-"

"On the ground!" another cop yelled and I heard them cock their weapons.

There were a lot of them, and I could easily kill them all. I needed to find Hana… but would I really kill these men who were just doing their job to find her?

I told her to trust me, and if I killed them all just to get by so I could find her… Would I be worth that trust?

What was I supposed to do?

"Nate, I've almost got the black box open." Dig stated.

"Hana…." I muttered under my breath glancing up at the dark sky.

"You have ten seconds to comply or we will open fire!"

Ten seconds to decide…

Violence…

Or cooperation…

I didn't know where Hana was. They took her, but the back box was almost open. I could find her then. They had to have something useful on there! But how long would she be alive? Obviously they needed her for something now, hence their kidnapping of her instead of just blowing the warehouse with her inside….

What did she know or have these people could want!

What could I do?

I was never trained for tracking down a missing person in a world full of people who would die to ensure she'd never be found! I'd never had to scour a globe filled with human civilization to find the one person in this place that trusted me….

These cops were in my way.

"Nate."

"They're in the way." I felt the light boiling under my skin.

" _You_ don't kill for no reason. _She_ didn't kill for no reason. Don't taint the name of Guardian for even this. You're a protector."

She called me that once…

A protector.

With the sickening feeling of guilt raking my heart, with the pain of betrayal stinging my eyes, I raised my hands. I would surrender myself for a moment, if only to buy Dig time.

I prayed to the Traveler, to God, to whatever was listening that Hana would last the night…

If she didn't….

I'd never forgive myself…

* * *

An hour later I found myself sitting in a chair inside a stingy gray room with no personality other than a camera in a single corner of the room. Only one person had come by to talk to me, and if I was to guess, it was most likely a lawyer, though they seemed as interested in me as I was interested in watching paint dry.

Then of course they had tried to take my helmet off. Imagine their shock when I sent electric shock therapy, courtesy of sending a burst of Arc energy through my body, through the poor sap that tried to pry it off.

Dig had yet to say anything, which left me to assume he was almost through with the box, and which left me here feeling very angsty.

I was worried that if one cop said one bad thing to me or about Hana, I'd snap and break every bone in his body.

I couldn't help but think of what they were doing to her. Was the hologram even real? Would they tie her up? Beat her? Cut her apart piece by piece? Torture her in the most heinous of ways?

The thoughts were too much, but they kept coming.

I'd seen some shit in the Last City, and it would take a lot to break my resolve, but it'd never happened to someone I'd know before.

Anyone whoever tried to hurt a Guardian in the Last City was killed on the spot. No remorse for traitors against your species, against those that were doing their absolute best to keep you alive.

Still….

Here I was. Waiting. And counting every second.

Hana was strong. She'd last. I hope she would at least.

If she didn't…

I couldn't have another Kathy. Another Marcus. Or Fredric. Or Sahara. Or-

My thoughts ground to a halt before ether vision came back. I couldn't let the past get to me now. Hana needed me to focus.

 _I,_ needed to to focus.

But this silence was killing me! If they were gonna charge me with murder of some bull shit then they just needed to charge me already!

Once they tried to take me to prison I could escape. They wouldn't be ready for it, wouldn't be trigger happy, and would feel secure. I could get away with only knocking them out cold.

I really didn't want to kill anyone, especially innocent cops who were just doing their job.

Suddenly the click of the door lock rung out and I tensed as it swung open.

The man who had basically identified himself as the police chief when I had arrived at the station walked in, the lawyer following close behind.

"Since you've given us no information," the man started, his dark skin and eyes a contrast to the lawyers light skin and green eyes, "we're going to hold you indefinitely at the Favela Prison. This is your last chance to take the bargain."

The bargain was something the lawyer had talked about earlier. Granted I had barely paid attention, but the gist of it was that if I agreed to testify against my supposed accomplices I would get a reduced sentence.

Of course I had nothing to say so I said nothing in response to the chief.

He grunted in clear disapproval once he got the hint and stood up. "Alejandro, Jacon, get in here and take him to the truck."

Two more officers, smaller than the chief and barely about my height, barely, walked in but instead of making their way to me they turned to the chief.

"Uh chief," The smaller, rounder one started, "apparently his girlfriends here? She want's to talk to him about a lawyer."

That made me raise an eyebrow. I had no girlfriend first off, and second off the only other ally I had in this city was Lucio who was most definitely a dude. And was probably cooked like a kabob…

Poor guy…

"Who the…" The chief growled. "Watch him and I'll deal with her." With that the chief left, lawyer in tow, and the two officers looked at each other before looking at me with skeptical eyes as the door closed.

Each moved to one side of the room, and one leaned adjacent a wall while the other crossed their arms and looked down at me.

"So, you some sort of lun-nananana-atic?" The one with crossed arms asked, the translator glitching for a moment. Hopefully it wasn't too damaged.

"Probably on drugs." The other chuckled.

"Look at the way he's dressed." The first scoffed leering down at me. "Definitely on drugs."

I rolled my eyes.

"Think he's like… trying to impress his girlfriend?"

"Probably compensating for something, ahaha!"

Okay I said I didn't want to hurt the cops, but these two could do with a few broken bones. It would lighten up their egos if they couldn't walk for a few weeks.

"Think he's a timmy two inch?"

"You see his girl? No woman like that would want something like that. Of course he is! Which is why he plays dress up and tries to be some hero!"

Oh these fuckers we're gonna get it.

However before I could continue to plot my revenge the door flew open and the Chief stuck his head in. "Out you two." He looked at me. "You two have three minutes."

The two officers left without a word, obviously smart enough to stop being shit heads in front of the Chief, but as they left someone else slipped in.

Someone I… Well literally the last person I expected walked in. Or maybe it was the last person of a group of persons that I literally didmc expect walked in?

It was the cheerleader, but she was dressed in short shorts, and had a light coat wrapped around her upper body, obviously covering what I assume was that damn glowing orb on her chest. He hair was still the same, aside from now being a bright pink, and she wore cute glasses now instead of her googles and heavy eyeliner that helped change her appearance.

The only reason I noticed her was because of the eyes. You don't forget the eyes of someone who's shot at you at point blank and fought you toe to toe.

That, and the fact a picture appeared of her normal appearance on my hud. Obviously courtesy of Dig.

She grabbed the chair across from me and sat down with smile, exclaiming, "babe I told you this was bad idea…"

I was surprised how her accent barely translated over to the language the locals spoke. Obviously she knew how to disguise herself.

She pulled out a simple phone and tossed it on the table nonchalantly.

"Hun, if you don't cooperate then they're going to through you away. Just… turn Garrett and Jose in and-" I watched as her hand slithered to the phone and pressed on the screen.

I glowed white for a moment before darkening and immediately she switched back to her British accent with english words as company.

"Love, how you got caught I don't know, but we have two minutes before they realize it's not their equipment messing up." She stated leaning back, and I noticed the camera in the corner wilt. "Where's Ms. Song?"

My mind was on overdrive. Why was she here? Obviously Overwatch had resources enough to find me across the world, but they also seemed to avoid violence with the authorities. Whether it was for moral or logical reasons I didn't know, but I knew part of their reputation at least. Hana had been adamant about their purity.

Should I trust this woman? At least enough to help get me the hell out of here?

Maybe trick her into taking me to Overwatch and slipping away from her if she was alone.

"Look," She started, "we have a minute and a half. Where's Ms. Song?" She asked, her voice dropping, but her eyes pleading with me to answer. "Did you-"

"No" I snapped, but I sighed afterwards. "They took her. Whoever that damned sniper worked with. They took her."

"The sniper from where we fought?"

"Yeah, not dressed modestly and not much of an eye sore either." I replied.

Her eyes went wide. "Talon has her…"

"Who?"

"Thats the name of the group she works for. Talon, an organization we've been fighting for years!" She shook her head. "How'd they get the drop on you?"

I narrowed my gaze behind my helmet. "We don't have time for stories, but they set me up again and lead the cops to me. I wasn't about to slaughter all the police who were there to arrest me so I let them take me in. Once they transferred me I was gonna escape and find Hana."

"You don't know where she is?"

I shook my head.

She pursed her lips. "If I know Talon, and she's still alive then they want information from her."

"Obviously." I retorted. She shot me a glare but it wasn't even close to the intensity Hana normally shot at me.

Then she replied. "They'll probably send her to their lead interrogator… Some Russian… We don't know who he is, but we've seen his work…"

She let the dark implication hang and I clenched my fists.

"Then we need to find her." I stated.

She nodded but kept her suspicious gaze still locked onto me. "I'll have to take you to the others first. They want to talk to you, give you one more chance considering our last date was sort of ruined."

"How about we get me out of here first?" I gestured to the room around me.

"And you'll come quietly?"

"I promise not to punch you in the face or kill any cops. Does that count?"

She glared at me. "We'll talk more outside. Wait exactly thirty seconds then make your move." Her hand hit the phone on the table and I glanced to the corner of the room. The camera suddenly straightened itself.

Whatever she did I had no idea, but the door opened not ten seconds after she had done it and the police escorted her out. From their demeanor she obviously wasn't a suspect, so she left and-

Did she wink at me?

The door slammed shut and the two officers, the losers from before, moved around the table towards me. One held cuffs and the other had his hand on a pistol.

"Twenty seconds." Dig informed me.

"Where the hell have you been?" I asked, my helmet automatically switching to internal speakers.

"For your information I just decrypted the black box thank you very much. Wasn't too hard once I realized that the biological seal was breakable by-"

"Enough technical shit. Did you find anything?" I asked as I slowly stood and raised my hands. The man with the cuffs grabbed my wrist and started to pull it behind my back.

"Ten. And yes. I found the favorite base of operations for one sociopathic Russian named Ranzeek Gorbotraugh. Nasty work like cheerleader said. Fortunately for us, his base is only a couple hundred miles north of her in a country called Mexico."

"How much do you wanna bet Hana's there?" I asked.

"I'd bet you Raze Lighter." Dig stated, his voice holding a dark tone.

The man grabbed my left arm and locked the cuffs around my wrists.

"Did you find out what they were planning?"

He sighed. Not good. "Well, I broke the lock without a key and the information got scrambled, and by scrambled I mean the moment I was in the box activated a wireless signal and dumped its contents onto the web. Now its a matter of putting it all together from across the globe. Five seconds."

I cracked my neck with a slow roll, but only the man to my right, the one with his hand on the gun noticed. He just raised an eyebrow.

"Can you get it done by tomorrow?"

"Dude its across the world… Half of it basically disappeared and we'd have to track it down. You're lucky as shit I caught a few terabytes of data and managed to find the sociopath cheerleader thinks took Hana."

 _Three…_

"Then start looking. First we find Hana, then the info."

 _Two…_

"Yes, boss."

"Don't be a shit."

One…

I flared Sol over my body, and the fire melted the cuffs. The cops yelled something unintelligible, and I pivoted on one heel, slamming my now flying heel in the side of the cop reaching for the gun. He buckled and gasped for air, but I used my momentum to carry me around and slammed my fist into the face of the second officer, throwing him to the wall and knocking him out with a single blow.

One down, one to go. I turned again and socked the first officer in the chest. He flew back and hit the wall, before my first to his face knocked him out too.

I stretched my shoulder. "Good riddance."

With that I made my way to the door and kicked it open, Last Word appearing in my hand as I rolled out and took aim.

But no one was there?

Like the halls of the station were empty…

What the hell did Cheerleader do?

I kept my weapon raised and walked down the halls and past the holding cells, prepared to ignore the criminals who I was sure would sneer and leer at me only to find them sound asleep.

Odd.

I made it to the front reception area without a hitch and kicked the door open. There had been plenty of desks and cubicles in the front when I came in, meaning a lot of officers, and I was ready for a fight.

And there was no one again…

The shit?

I started forward and looked over the wall of one cubicle- only to find the officer sound asleep on his desk. I blinked and lowered my gun before looking around the other cubicles and desks to find that literally everyone was asleep.

"Bit creepy staring at someone sleep, don't ya think love?"

Cheerleader was standing next to the front doors, her arms crossed and a smile plastered on her face as she obviously chewed gum.

"The hell did you do?"

She shrugged. "Let off some nap time gas. Knocked the poor sluggers right out."

"Smart." But I didn't lower my weapon. Instead I raised it and cheerleader frowned. "So how about we talk about this getting impounded by Overwatch thing?"

"We just want-"

"I want a puppy and sixty three ice cream cones." I scoffed. "But Hana needs to be saved now. Theres no time for sitting down and talking to your boy band, so if you'll excuse me."

Instantly she blinked and was standing in front of me, her sub machine gun planted firmly on my chest.

I frowned.

"Love, I don't want to fight. We can talk."

We were wasting time, and a fight with her could go on way too long for comfort. I had to end this now, and there were only two ways to do that. One, drive my knife in her heart. Two, ask her to listen.

"Then listen."

She blinked, obviously caught off guard by the response.

"Help me find Hana," I started, "Once we do, and she's safe, we'll talk."

She studied me for a few seconds, wasting what little time I had, and I was prepared to just punch her when she replied, "you really want her safe?"

I pursed my lips. "That's all I've been trying to do for weeks. Keep her safe."

She stared at me, her eyes giving away her indecision. She had been told other things, seen other things like the video of me stabbing Hana. She had seen Hana defend me, and now she saw me going after Hana after she was taken.

She didn't know what to think.

She was at a loss.

"Either decide, or move." I growled. "I don't have time-"

She held up a hand.

"Lets go get her."

* * *

The first thing Hana saw was darkness. Pure blackness, not an inch of light in sight.

It took her a moment to realize that her eyes were closed so she tried to open them. Unfortunately it was actually…. hard to open them. Not like you were asleep and were just waking up hard, it was like your eyelids were being dragged down two bricks taped to them.

When was the last time she had felt that? That's right. Never.

But after some struggling she managed to open her eyes. She was met with gray concrete. Well a gray concrete floor if her position told her anything.

Her muscles ached and she felt the bruise forming on her cheek. How had she gotten that?

Oh yeah! That giant dude had punched her!

Her eyes went wide.

The ones who kidnapped her!

She forced her head up and instantly tried to move. Her wrists were held in metal. That, she could _feel._

She looked up, but it was so close to being pitch black all around that it was nearly impossible to make out the shape of chains wrapped around her wrists. She tried to kick, but the pull of cuffs holding her ankles told her she was bound to the floor as well.

A cool breeze washed over her and she shivered, her short shorts offering her little to no protection from the frigid air.

She struggled for a few moments but realized quickly it was useless. With a deep breath to calm her fear ridden body she took in her surroundings. She could see the two metal tables on either side of her. She could see the vague outlines of tools on them.

An involuntary shiver ran over her spine.

Where was she?

She decided to focus on whatever lay beyond the tables, but it was too dark for her to tell.

She wanted to call out but knowing she had been kidnapped, knew it was a terrible idea. Of course though that left the question of why she had been kidnapped. If it was the same people who wanted her dead… well that didn't make any sense!

They wanted her dead! Why take her alive?

 _Creak…_

She shot her head up and saw light flood the room as two doors at the front of the room opened up. She was momentarily blinded and glanced away so her eyes could adjust.

"Little Hana Song. Smaller in person." A light voice with a thick Russian accent picked up from somewhere in front of her.

She squinted and looked up, and caught the outline of some man dressed in darker clothes, as a light above was suddenly turned on. She didn't bother to give him a reply.

"You see," the man stared as his voice trailed off to where she knew the tables where, "I 'ave been given the most unfortunate task, of…"

Her vision adjusted and she watched as the man lifted up a large nail, inspecting it from behind his massive, circular rimmed glasses.

"…making you sing." A smile etched its way onto his face.

She gulped and subconsciously pulled away from him, though the chains kept her from going anywhere.

"See, it is alvays a tragedy when perfection is blemished." He placed the nails down and the doors closed leaving them alone.

Beads of sweat stared to form on her forehead.

He grabbed something else, a saw. It was rusted, and its once serrated edges were now dull. He twisted it in front of him before speaking up. "And you, are perfection indeed."

The saw was discarded onto the table.

He picked up a box and shook it. Something inside rattled. He smiled and she shivered again.

"You see Ms. Song, you are a hero, a celebrity, and a beautiful woman all at the same time." He slithered around the table, staring at her like she was some sort of lab rat. "So few in all of history have been all three at once."

His wrinkled hands open the box in front of her, and her eyes went wide as she saw its contents; hooks, barbs, needles, and fish-wire.

"Alas, you may be exquisite, but you must sing. Therefore," he plucked a needle, a simple fish hook and grabbed the wire, looping it through the small hole at the hooks end, before looking back up at her.

"I will be you conductor."

D'Va's screams filled the air.

* * *

 **A/N So here's the next chapter. Sorry for it being so late. See I just started school again, with 21 hours and working to pay bills. I haven't had much time, and what time I do have is gone to homework, writing the chapter, writing my actual novel, or miscellaneous things like friends, naps, or staying alive.**

 **It's been a hell of a week, and fortunately now that my schedule I was able to finish this chapter before the week was up. I split it initially because I wanted to update but needed more time to finish the last half, so I split the chapter.**

 **I do apologize for the lateness, but it's hard to write when your brain's on overload.**

 **Anyway hope you like depths chapter! The ante has been uped, and now Hana's in danger, and Nates on the verge of killing a bunch of people. Now for anyone wondering, Nate's not willing to kill innocents, or harmless people. People who attack him and try to kill him or a friend? Fair game. Innocent? No.**

 **Now hopefully the idea of torture doesn't turn you away….**

 **Review Response**

 **ecoolasice: Thanks :D**

 **TheJester: Agreed. I just thought it was a promise I could keep. Life proved me wrong.**

 **Cyberknight: We'll see. To be fair, I only have the first arc truly planned out. Of course there are major plots points and characters I've planned for the the rest of the story, but they won't come out till later.**

 **Guest: …. I did not know he was so short….**

 **Horizon Unsheathed : Well their meeting happened here. More of awkward, and kind of a meeting that fits the situation, but Tracer will offer an explanation next chapter and they'll really get down to talking… or fighting.**

 **Lord Salad Bar: The detective part will still keep going, as is evident by the fact they now need to scour the globe for the information the Black Box dumped.**

 **Sneky : Not much of a spoiler, but yeah he's been in the crucible.**

 **GummyBears117: Everyone will see his power. Just not yet. They just got a glimpse of it this time.**

 **Anonymous: Mercy and Nate… hmmm. ;) Maybe.**

 **unknown: As in the ship ship, like his group of ragtag heroes? Or the ship in which he ends up with them romantically?**

 **Guest: Maybe Guardians don't lose part of themselves. Still doesn't mean they like dying even if they can come back. And its a small part of losing yourself, and either way why would the elder guardians care about you dying if you can just revive? Why would your ghost care?**

 **Courier47: Haha! Maybe that will happen! As of now thought shit's kind of hit the fan. Next chapter you'll get the consequences of this chapter and we'll see if Lucio's alive, Tracers reaction to Nate and his side of the story, and if Hana can survive being tortured.**

 **ZILLAFAN: In sheer strength Chief still has even Guardians beat. Of course thought, there will be things Nate has to fight that only together they could, but well… I'll save the surprise for later.**

 **Well thats that friends.**

 **If you want, leave your opinion of the darker take this story will have. That was always the intent, but I have a backup plan in case the readers don't want it to be too dark. I won't go into like, super super detailed description of things like Hana being tortured, but there'll be references and glimpses of it if you all are cool with that.**

 **Anyway! thanks for reading! Review please! God Bless you guys!**

 **P.S. PM me if you have any specific questions that just can't wait.**

 **-Metal4k**


	9. Chapter 9

**The Darkest Knight**

 **The Reforming of Overwatch**

 **Chapter 9: Hana, Tracer, and a little bit of blood.**

* * *

 ** _Forty minutes before Nate escapes the police station…_**

* * *

Lena stared with pursed lips and downcast eyes as the fire consumed the warehouse, its walls and roof cracking and collapsing foot by foot every few minutes. She had arrived too late. She had heard the gun fire and came to intervene when suddenly her quarry was thrown out the front by a massive explosion that shook the entree docking complex.

What had happened in there she could only guess. But her target had been taken by the police, which in itself, confused her.

That man had held his own against four Overwatch agents, a nearly impossible task. Yet, he had allowed the police to take him in. Granted he had been surrounded and would've had to fight at least a dozen of them to escape…. he hadn't. He just… gave up.

So now Lena was confused. Why would he do that?

He could've beaten them, gotten away with time to spare. But he didn't.

But that had been just less than a half hour ago and she was still here. Why?

Because she wasn't sure what to think. She could follow, apprehend the man, but be forced to fight past the authorities in her quest to do so. Of course that wouldn't bode well because Overwatch wasn't supposed to be active, and her presence, whether as a vigilante or an agent, would certainly cause problems.

She knew the police couldn't hold him, but considering he surrendered without a fight, she figured some sense of honor would keep him in place for the time being. Besides, she could just follow after him if he did escape.

The man definitely knew how to leave a trail.

Plus she needed to find out what happened here. So she sat and watched.

Bright, flashing lights of Police cars and firetrucks glowed in the night, a beautiful symphony of colors with the orange flames eating away at the warehouse.

She huffed out a breath and shook her head. It would be a miracle if anyone survived the explosion.

What really got her though was that she knew, Hana Song had been with him. She hacked the security cameras when she arrived and the front one showed Hana with another man, but not her target.

And now Hana Song was no where to be found.

What if her target had killed Song? Had ignited the warehouse and left Ms. Song inside?

The man had claimed to be a friend of Hana's, and her defense of him in Korea was proof of that.

But she was no where to found, and he was taken by the police…

What had happened!

Suddenly more lights filled the air and she shot a look back towards the front of the docks. More firetrucks and police cars were coming, and from the fact the first vehicles were busy fighting the flames at the front, she could only guess the newcomers would head to the sides and back.

Tracer stood and blinked to the side, gliding over the crates around the warehouse all the way to the back where she had stored the bike she had 'acquired' on her arrival in Rio. She couldn't let the authorities find the bike and start asking more questions.

Overwatch still had to keep its head down, so the last thing they needed was the police sticking their noses into her business.

The bike itself was old, dusty, and had the raw power of a charging rhinoceros. She got to her bike and-

"Ughhh…" A voice groaned.

She blinked and spun in a circle, drawing her weapons faster than she could even blink. Who had groaned?

Her gaze scoured over the crates and metal containers surrounding the back, till she saw the culprit- a person crashed into the side of what used to be a pyramid of crates. The crates where cracked, bent in, and splintered, but from the looks of it had acted like a cushioning for however the poor soul was.

Granted a hard, wooden cushion, but that was better than hitting the ground.

She blinked over, trails of blue stringing after her as she reappeared next to the person, standing atop the few crates in the pyramid that were still intact.

The man, she could now tell from his stature, was darker skinned with dreads. Strangely he looked sort of familiar… He wore a vest and backpack, but his bare arms looked burned from the… fire!

The man had been inside the warehouse when it blew up! Or at least really really close! Meaning he must've seen what happened with her quarry!

She opened her mouth to ask, but she stopped when the man's eyes shot open.

"Ah! Hot!" He roared, jumping to his feet with enough speed and surprise that Tracer blinked down and away out of pure instinct. The man gasped for air and looked around him, lifting up his hand as if he was holding a weapon- which he wasn't.

She raised an eyebrow and aimed her own weapons before asking, "are you all right?"

The man jumped and turned to her, looking down from his vantage point atop the pile of crates. At first he seemed utterly surprised and was prepared to shout something when his face contorted in recognition.

"Tracer? Like, Overwatch Tracer?" He asked, his eyes going wide as her identity obviously dawned on him. Apparently he wasn't too injured, which was a surprise to her considering he looked way too close to the explosion to have survived without major third degree burns.

"Ello." She waved with a cheeky smile.

"What're you doing here!" He asked, but her reply was cut of by the crackling and sputtering of flames from the warehouse. "Oh damn!"

She shot a look at the warehouse and listened for the sirens. They were getting closer.

"Do you know what happened here?" She asked. Time constraints weren't going to allow for sweet talking this guy.

"Yeah I do." The man shook his head. "Wait, why are you here?" His gaze narrowed at her.

She rolled her eyes. "Long story short love, I was following the man with the cape, tracked him here and then the place blew up. I found you unconscious lying in a pile of crates." She gestured to the crates below him.

He looked down and nodded. "What happened to Nate?"

"Nate?" She scrunched her eyebrows together.

"That's the cape dudes name."

"Oh, lovely. Well, the police got a hold of him."

The man laughed darkly. "As if they could hold him."

"How well do you know him?" She asked, narrowing her eyes and keeping her weapons aimed at the man. He didn't seem to mind.

"Sort of. Long story."

The sirens were too close now and she could see their light mixing with the colors of the containers and fire surrounding them.

"How about we discuss it somewhere else? I don't think the cops are going to appreciate the fact you and Nate blew up a warehouse." She threw a thumb at the flames, lowering her weapons at the same time.

The man grimaced and froze for a moment, considering his options obviously, before he nodded. "All right. I'm game."

"Then hop on!" She jumped on her bike and the man climbed on behind her, though she noticed his movements were slow, likely because of whatever burns he received.

She hit the throttle and dust kicked up from her bike, spitting into the air as the engine roared and pulled them away from the warehouse.

"So whats the story?" She asked as they sped away, the air whipping by them and fluttering her hair.

It took a moment but the man replied, "I came with my friend Hana to the warehouse, we were looking at my stuff! She thought it had something to do with her would be killers!" He was forced to yell because of the thundering air around them.

She hit the brakes and drifted around a sharp corner and shot forward one more towards the city of Rio.

So Hana Song had been here.

"Names Lucio by the way!" The man stated.

"Charming!" She said back. She felt the tingle of familiarity but couldn't place the name. Not now anyway. She cleared her throat then continued, "so what did Nate have to do with all this?"

"He's looking out for Hana so he's hunting down her attackers I think!" Lucio yelled as she took another hard turn, his hands gripping her sides harder as momentum tired to throw him off. "They're friends and I didn't trust the dude at first but the way he acted when she was took!"

She could feel the man shake his head then continue, "trust me when I say he's on her side!"

She frowned but didn't respond, instead increasing their speed as they hit the straight that led right to the entrance of the docks. Two cop cars, lights still flashing, were parked on either side of the front gate, three officers standing around and talking.

Her hand twisted the throttle and with a kick, the bike lurched forward. She lowered her body to decrease the air resistance and Lucio leaned with her.

It was too late by the time the cops turned to them, and they raced by as shocked faces grasped the men and they scrambled to their cars as if to give chase. By the time the sirens kicked on Lena had already pulled far enough into the nearby suburbs that it would be a pointless chase.

She rounded a corner, the bike hopping twice from the misaligned road, and slowed to a stop in front of what looked like a two story apartment complex. The few people out stared at her like she was a strange occurrence but when she got off they scattered away.

She blinked to the edge of the street, looking back to where they had come from to ensure they hadn't been followed. To her relief they weren't, though of course that had been the plan all along.

In a flash she blinked back to Lucio. She crossed her arms. "So explain what was the long story?"

Lucio sighed as leaned against the bike, having already disembarked. "They came to me asking about what I knew about the heist that happened here a few weeks ago."

She remembered that. After all it was the first time she met this Nate.

"And?" She prodded when he didn't continue.

He grimaced as he stood straight. "I helped. Hana's a friend after all, and I don't turn my back on my friends. I gave the guy a shot, but when me and Hana came to the docks we were ambushed and these guys just took her. Nate got here too late and…" his voice drifted off.

"You okay love?" Lena asked, her concern growing. She had assumed he was okay since there were no visible injuries aside form the slight burns on his arms. She hoped he didn't have internal bleeding.

The man shook his head. "Fine. But there was this… dude. Thing I guess, that started to taunt us by saying something about Hana. Nate went after him, and I tried to follow, then everything… well. You know, went boom."

"Speaking of which how did you survive that blast if you two were inside?"

"No idea how he made it, but I used a sonic barrier." The man threw a thumb over his shoulder at his backpack. "Fried my backpack, but it obviously kept me alive. Must've been a hell of a bomb to throw me out like that though and burn my arms."

She nodded. "Do you know who took Ms. Song?"

He frowned and shook his head in the negative. "I wish."

"Does Nate?"

"Heck if I know, but I'm betting he's already trying to find her. Probably went to the police to find more info." The man replied though grit teeth as he shifted his stance to favor his right side.

She frowned. "All right, I'm getting you to a hospital then getting this Nate. I need to talk to him."

"Hell nah!"

She blinked her eyes in slight surprise. That wasn't the response she had expected.

"I'm fine! If you're going after Hana I'm going with, you ain't gonna stop me." The man declared.

"You're injured! We don't-"

"I'm going."

She frowned. "I don't mean to be rude, but you're not going to be of much help. You're hurt."

He narrowed his gaze at her.

"I may not be able to fight right now, but who else do you thinks gonna keep Nate from blowing your head off?"

She frowned. "I'm guessing that would be you?"

He nodded. "He's not a real fan of Overwatch you know."

Tracer nodded. She remembered Korea.

"I'm well aware…"

* * *

 **Present**

* * *

You ever feel, like…. just pissed off at everything? Like when you're walking around and you hate that car for being parked too close to your ride, that door for not holding open long enough, or like when someone random person just looks at you the wrong way and you wanna beat the shit out of them?

Well thats about how I felt.

So when I tell you cheerleader was really grinding my nerves, then you should believe me.

Well, maybe it wasn't her. Maybe it was the fact, Lucio had died because I had left him inside the warehouse while I blindly chased down some phantom. Maybe it was because I was alone on this planet and had no idea what the fuck was up with half the people here.

Or maybe it was the fact my only friend here was kidnapped and likely being tortured!

Ah!

Of course though, I was here now, outside the police station, where courtesy of Cheerleader I was able to escape without hurting anyone inside.

So I was trying to keep my attitude in check.

We walked out of the police station, me following her and… several officers were outside, though the fact they were against the cars and walls with closed eyes and a specks of blood all around hinted that something different happened out here.

"What happened to them?" I asked, narrowing my gaze at her. I wondered if she had just done this all to set a trap for me. Play on my dedication of trying to find Hana, then get me in a kill box and ambush me.

I started to scan all of our surroundings, which included the streets beyond with cars still passing when she replied, "well the gas was only for inside. Had to deal with these poor blokes the hard way."

Poor suckers didn't stand a chance. And she had managed to do it in like… a few minutes? Impressive…

"What kind of gas?" I asked, glancing back at the station to ensure no one was following us. Part of me did wanted to know, but now I was just trying to keep polite conversation as Dig brought down my ship from orbit. She'd probably freak when she saw it but as of right now, we really didn't have the time to deal with the details. We just needed something fast to get to Hana.

She raised an eyebrow at me and I clarified, "the station I mean. How'd you knock them all out using just gas?"

"I used an Aerosol knock out gas. Fast acting. A friend of mine designed it for me as last resort crowd control technique. All I have to do is inoculate before hand." She replied, looking back at me as she suddenly took a right and walked to the side of the building.

I narrowed my gaze. "What're you doing?"

"You don't think I did this all by myself do you?" She smiled and disappeared in blink.

I snapped my weapon up in response and twirled around, expecting for her friends from before to show a few moments later, before I even could consider lowering my gun, she reappeared, letting someone out of her arms.

"This bloke put the gas in the vents. Took hardly anytime for it to reach the poor sods inside."

"What the hell is…" I blinked twice as I saw who it was she let out of her arms.

I lowered my gun. "Lucio?"

"Hey man." The man grunted through a grimace, obviously favoring one side.

"I thought you died!" I threw my arms up. "How'd you survive man!" I asked stepping forward, the smile obviously leaking into my voice.

Sure I didn't know him well, but I was sure as hell glad he was alive. At least someone survived from the warehouse that wasn't me.

"Same way I kept you from getting blown in half." He chuckled though another grimace caused me to frown behind my mask.

"You okay?" I asked looking him up and down. He didn't look too injured aside from a few burns.

My voice switched to my internal speakers, "Dig, can you scan him?"

"Give me a sec. Still bringing down the ship you know."

I looked at Cheerleader. "Did you find him?"

"Yup. Bloke was unconscious, but he woke up and was rather adamant about helping find Ms. Song. Of course that meant we both needed to find you."

"Him I get." I stated, though my voice held no emotion. "But I'd still not rather deal with all this Overwatch business." I motioned to her, but turned away and looked to the sky.

It was small, but the orange light was starting to get brighter and I grinned.

"You don't trust Overwatch?" Lucio asked from somewhere behind me.

"They tried to kill me."

"After you opened fire on us!" Cheerleader retorted.

I shot a glare back at her. "Please. I was trying to help! You guys just started attacking me! Dicks."

"You stabbed Ms. Song, what were we supposed to do? Expect you to be nice and just listen? I tried that love remember." Her voice was hitched with sass, and I growled.

I gripped my weapon tighter. "Tried? More like demanded I turn myself in. You assholes didn't even let me talk!"

"We did and you shot at us!"

"I was taking out another assassin! Obviously I don't want anyone dead, at least none of you or Hana, hence why you all are still alive!" I snapped.

"Please." She retorted.

"Oh trust me lady, you're lucky I don't consider you an enemy." I stated, narrowing my gaze.

She shook her head. "Or else what love? You going to start killing us one by one? Like Mrs. Song?"

"I never wanted to kill her."

"And how do I know if you had nothing to do with Ms. Song's sudden disappearance?"

"You really think I did this?" I pointed to myself in utter disbelief. This bitch was thick.

She shrugged. "You haven't shown us otherwise!"

"Ha! Really? The one who's been risking life and limb for her for weeks hasn't shown you otherwise! That's great. Real solid. And what exactly have you all having been doing for her besides sitting down playing cards with your thumbs up your asses!" I yelled pointing at her.

This was soooooooo not the the time for this.

The roar of my ship was getting louder and I saw Lucio's eyes widen at my actions, but Cheerleader on the other hand took a step towards me despite my height over her and, I would say, more intimidating presence.

"You need to watch it love. I've been trying to help you, but because you throw a hissy fit every time someone comes near you it's been damn near impossible!"

"Then don't try to help! I don't need it!"

"Well obviously Ms. Song does!"

I snapped my weapon up. "I was doing fine till you shit heads intervened in Korea! It's probably your fault they found us in the first place!"

"Our fault?!" Cheerleader snapped, her soft features sharpening as she growled and aimed her own weapons at me. "You're the own who tried to kill Ms. Song in the first place!"

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Lucio suddenly stepped in-between us, his hands out as if to stop both of us. "Let's just take a breather and- what the hell!" His eyes went wide and we both followed his gaze.

I wasn't surprised to see my ship slowing to a halt in front of us, but obviously they were.

"What in the bloody hell is that?" Cheerleader grumbled, though her voice had less infection than Lucios.

"My ride." I replied as the ship made a one eighty and the ramp lowered before us, hovering just a few inches off the street. "I'm going for Hana. She's in a facility north of here. Come if you want."

Personally I didn't want cheerleader to come, but the logical side of my mind won out. More of us would mean better chance of saving Hana, and aside from Terminator, I was pretty sure she was the only one who could go toe to toe with me, and if she could do that, then she would be of more help with me than here in Rio.

"How do you know where she is?" Once more two submachine guns were raised at me.

I rolled my eyes but a shrill, "weee!" filled my ears from behind and I glanced back to see Bastion staring out from the cargo bay of my ship with what looked like the tightened eyes of a child. Or whatever the robot equivalent is.

"A bastion!" Cheerleader exclaimed though her expression was of sheer alarm and panic.

I tilted my head in question as Lucio yelled something and both he and cheerleader dove to cover, well blinked to cover in the case of the British teleporter.

"What're you two freaking out about?" I yelled, throwing my arms in the air as my frustration stared to get the better of me.

"Uh Nate. Behind you." Dig stated with a voice that I knew meant trouble.

I turned on my heel and the child like Bastion was gone. Instead was a machine with a red eye and its weapon pointed right past me and at the others.

"Bastion? Buddy?" I asked, Raze Lighter appearing on my back.

He didn't look at me and instantly transformed within a second to his massive turret mode. I knew what was coming and drew my sword leaping right in front of him before he fired and raised my shield.

"Yo! Chill man!" I yelled the gatling gun looking me dead in the eye.

The machine didn't fire and I stayed there narrowing my gaze.

 **"Enemies located. Request permission to terminate?"** My translator picked up from the machine. This voice though wasn't anything like the Bastion I knew. Sure I hadn't spent a lot of time with him, with all the saving Hana and not dying thing, but I'd never heard this before.

"Nate, he's in combat mode. He did this when he covered you in Korea remember?" Dig informed me.

I nodded, simply out of habit to show I understood, then stated, "Bastion, relax. They're friends. No shooting anything."

The machine beeped a few times, my translator failing to translate the sounds, but fortunately he didn't open fire. He stayed in his…. turret form? Yeah I'll go with that. He stayed in his turret form and I turned back to the others.

"He's protective." I stated.

"It's an omnic soldier! Do you know how many people those things killed?" Cheerleader exclaimed as she stuck her head out from behind the car she was using for cover.

I pursed my lips. "Dig?"

"She's not lying. His designation is a bastion unit for the Omnic army. The reports I'm reading are pretty fucked up, but if what I'm reading's accurate, his entire class of soldier was decommissioned. He might be the last one."

Well shit.

Bastion was on the Omnic side of the war. Great. He had tried to exterminate humanity. But if he was programmed to do that… why didn't he kill Hana? Or me for that matter?

He had stated he had a friend, a little girl. What had happened to her? Had he killed her?

I didn't know. I'd have to pry it out of him. But that could wait.

As of now, Bastion had only defended me, and even Hana to an extent.

So fuck it. He was backing me up and as of right now that's all I could ask for.

I shook my head. "Look, we can discuss this later," I threw thumb over my shoulder and at my ship, "but right now I'm going for Hana. Maybe Bastion's killed some people, fuck if I know, but seeing as he can become a giant gun, I'd rather have him helping us than not, so I'm leaving now."

My cape fluttered as I turned and marched the rest of the way up to the cargo bay of my ship. I glanced back and yelled, "you coming or not?"

There was a whir of sound and Bastion reformed to his bipedal self, standing tall and looking down at me with his blue eye.

 **"Bastion is sorry."** He stated, looking down.

I pat his metal leg as I walk by. "Don't worry about it man."

 **"Where is girl?"**

I sigh and shake my head as start up the short stairs leading to the rest of the ship. "Someone took her, and we're going to get her back."

His eye turned red. **"We will terminate those who took her."**

I couldn't help but agree.

 _Clunk. Clunk._

So someone was going to join me after all. Fun.

I looked down.

It was Lucio. He hobbled his way up the ramp, gritting his teeth as he obviously struggled to walk. I sighed and leapt off the stairs before rushing to him and wrapping one arm around him so I could help support his weight.

"Thanks." He muttered.

"Welcome."I replied. "You know they're gonna try to kill us right?"

"Yeah man, but it's my fault she got taken." He tensed as we hobbled to the stairs. "I'm gonna get her back."

"Well," I started as we took the first step up, "at least you're a good friend. I'll patch you up once we're inside. Dig, close the bay door."

I felt a small jerk as the ship started to ascend and I felt a pang of frustration. Damn Cheerleader was too proud to fucking take a chance. Sure she didn't trust me, but come on. I obviously wasn't going to kill her.

The gears started turning and the bay bay started to close when suddenly a flash of blue filled the cargo bay.

I froze and Lucio coughed.

"Nice of you to join us." The darker man grinned as he looked down at the rest of the bay. Bastion too was looking down and I rolled my eyes before following their gaze.

Cheerleader was standing there next to me, arms crossed as she subtly glanced around the cargo bay though most of her attention was obviously on Bastion, who in turn stared up at her with his head now tilted to the side in obvious confusion.

She quickly turned to me, arms still crossed as she straightened her stance, her gaze hard behind the orange visor.

"One conditions, you tell me everything once we find her."

I narrowed my gaze.

"Just do it man. We could use the help." Lucio stated with a grunt. "Got our asses kicked before."

"Fine." I mumbled. "We'll tell you everything we know, but only when we get Hana." I turn away and the door to the rest of my ship slides open in front of us. "Deal?"

I can feel her smile.

"Deal."

* * *

It takes us about thirty to forty five minutes to fly up to a country called Mexico, to the facility Dig tracked. I'd never been here in my own world, never had needed to, but I don't think I'd ever seen a place as dry. Well maybe Mars…

The ground was rolling hills covered in dirt, rocks, and few plants. The plants that did grow looked hardy, and lacked any real color. The gray mountains beyond did nothing to help the sight.

What got me though was the fact there was nothing but desert in sight. No buildings, no secret facility.

Nothing that showed Hana was here.

My grip tightened on my chair as I stared out the cockpit, hoping beyond hope to find something.

"Dig?" I asked as the waypoint on the cockpits glass grew bright. The ship slowed to a halt. We were at the coordinates, but all I saw was cacti and fucking dirt.

So much dirt.

My Ghost appeared next to me in a flash. "It's probably under ground. Secret facility and all."

Part of my apprehension left and I asked, "any idea where the entrance is?"

"No man. The info got dumped before I could sort through it. I've been trying to track it, but I'm coming up empty. Wherever all the black boxes info went probably went offline to keep it safe from hacking. Without being physically near it I can't track anything to help."

"Great." I sighed and turned away. "What about any signals? Anything out of the ordinary out here?"

"Not that I'm seeing. Get me down there and I can do a deep scan, see if there's anything down below."

I nodded and walked into the main room, helmet in hand.

Lucio was laying on the couch out cold. I had to given the dude some painkillers as me and Cheerleader pried his backpack off earlier after they told me what happened to him. Though the explosion had fired his backpack, it had actually fried his back like it was a wall of fries. A bag of sealing gel took care of any scars or wounds, but he was out like a light after.

Which left me with five bags left. Not a good amount considering how much they're being used.

Cheerleader on the other hand was wide awake, sitting on the table with her legs crossed as she lazily whistled some tune that annoyed the fuck out of me. Her reaction to Dig had been hilarious at first. She had started spouting questions but when I threatened to blow her brains out, and only after Lucio intervened so we wouldn't kill each other, did she back off.

Of course she still eyed Dig like he was some strange artifact, but Hana had kind of had a similar reaction.

Then there was the fact she had started asking about my ship. I told her it was an advanced personal jet. She didn't buy it for a second, but it was at least enough to get her to shut up.

And she's still whistling that damn tune!

"Can you not?" I growled, slipping my helmet on as my rifle appeared on my back. I slipped it into my hands and checked the ammo count.

She shot a glare at me. "Are we there?"

"Yes." I stated, moving to Lucio and gently nudging him with the butt of my rifle.

He stirred but didn't wake.

"Good." I heard the small pat as she got off the table and landed on the floor with a bounce. "What's the plan?"

I raised an eyebrow at her. "We go in, find Hana, and kill anything in our way."

"Really?" She gawked.

"No not really." I grumbled, nudging Lucio again. "We don't know where the entrance is but Dig can do a deep scan. Once we find the entrance you and me head in nice and quiet. We find Hana and try to get her out without starting a firefight. If the shooting starts, which I'm betting it will, Lucio, Dig, and Bastion up here are the calvary."

"How?"

"Bastion's a giant killing machine, Lucio can use my rocket launcher, and Dig can use the ships cannons to distract them. If it comes down to it, he can use the canons to bury them alive while he transmats us out."

"Transmat?" She asked with a curious look.

"Teleport." I clarify, though I don't hide my annoyance.

"Long range teleportation?" She asks, a small glimmer in her eyes. "Winston would have a field day if he could examine your things…"

I didn't bother to reply as Lucio finally moved and his eyes slowly opened. He grimaced but pushed himself up so he was sitting, stretching one arm.

"All right…" he grumbled, "whats the plan?"

I explained to him my simple plan and he frowned.

"That's what you got?"

I swung my rifle onto my shoulder, "we don't have much else to go off of." Truthfully, I'd gone into much worse with much less of a plan.

Then theres the fact that most plans end up turning into shitfest shootouts anyway.

"I'm not sitting up here while you two risk your lives to save Hana." He replied, crossing his arms. Bags were under his eyes and a tinge of worry hit me. The dude looked tired as hell. I knew from experience surviving an explosion was tough so I felt for him.

"Lucio-"

"I'm the reason she's here man." He sighed and shook his head. "I have to get her back."

I pursed my lips. "Look, I get it. I want to get her back too okay? But, you're in no shape to fight man. You'll slow us down and how do you think she'd feel if you died trying to save her? You're here, and you've got my back, that'll be enough. No need for anyone to die."

"I'm not gonna die."

"And if you do?"

The man was silent.

"Love," I glanced to Cheerleader as she started, "I know what its like to rush in a save a friend, but he's right."

Huh thats a first from her.

"You're not in a good state. If you die, how will Hana feel knowing you so stubbornly ran in, and died trying to find her while we were there already and could've gotten her out without you dying?" She smiled, and for a moment I forgot my annoyance with her.

"Guys, it's my fault." He laughed darkly. "I have too."

"You don't." I said. "It's not even your fault. If anything, after Korea, I should've known they would be one step ahead. Besides, I promised to protect her, and once again I've broken that promise. Don't blame yourself for my mistakes." I added.

Cheerleader glanced to me and I met her eyes with my own, but my head stayed still so she probably had no idea I was looking at her and not Lucio.

It was quiet for a moment, then he sighed. "All right. I'll stay up here. Just keep me updated." Gingerly he got to his feet and headed to the cockpit.

Watching him struggle just to walk ensured me I had made the right call. Poor dude had a good heart but he had been caught in the middle of a massive explosion. Hell I don't think even I would've survived it, its a miracle he did.

"Dig?" I asked, my thoughts telling him exactly what I was thinking.

"Ramp's lowering. I'll keep an eye on him once I get the scan." My Ghost replied, appearing next to me.

A moment of silence and I glanced at Cheerleader, gesturing for her to follow me.

I headed out of the main room and into the cargo bay, light footsteps following after me, and drew my rifle as the light from outside pierced the cargo bays relative darkness.

Our footsteps fused and echoed slightly off the cargo bays walls till we reached the end of the ramp and the sound dissipated into the open air.

With a small hop I landed with a _thud_ on the dirt soaked ground, my boots crunching the dirt as Dig floated down next to me. A lighter crunch followed and I started forward a bit, raising my weapon and giving a quick scan to our surroundings.

Aside from a particularly foul looking cactus there was nothing out of place and I lowered my weapon as Dig's light shined and his parts separated and began twirling, albeit as slow as a sloths sprint.

I looked at the cactus again.

"Aren't cactus supposed to have nice looking flowers?"

"Not in this region, well at the least for the big ones." Dig replied, though his focus was obviously somewhere else.

Cheerleader walked up next to me, her own eyes peeled as she gazed out to the horizons, her heading moving left and right as she searched for something other than the cacti, dirt, and mountains.

I opened my mouth to say something when Dig's voice filled the air. "Got something. Whatever it is, its deep, like ten stories deep. Looks like an elevator shaft about three hundred meters to your left."

I looked in said direction and saw the rolling dead hills and more mountains in the background. These hills though were sparsely populated with both cacti and large boulders, none of which looked any larger than me.

"You sure?" I asked, somewhat confused. There was no way to hide anything up here, but Dig's scan said there was.

"Yeah man, one hundred percent."

I huffed and my sparrow appeared as Dig floated to us. "I'll be in the cockpit with Lucio. Keep in touch and try not to die." He disappeared before my retort could leave my lips.

I climbed onto my sparrow and scooted forward. "Get on."

Cheerleader complied and slid on behind me. I hit the throttle and shot forward, racing towards the waypoint that appeared courtesy of Dig. She yelped a bit when I hit the boost, and I grinned for whatever reason.

It was a short journey, like a couple dozen seconds short, and I hit the brakes and slowed to a halt before a series of boulders and cacti that were much larger up close than I had initially thought. Cheerleader leapt off with a grace that impressed me and made me feel clunky as I slid of my sparrow.

My ride disappeared and I stalked towards the boulders. They were larger than my ride, but not large enough to hide or run into, or well do anything that would be the size if an elevator. Unless they transformed into one.

I studied the formations and I could see Cheerleader doing the same, though where I stared and studied, she blinked around the area looking for anything out of place.

I stepped onto one of the boulders and looked down at a few more behind it.

So far nothing out of place or weird.

Just dirt, rocks, and…

I narrowed my gaze.

That cactus was…. The flower type. It was a bright blue, but it was big. The cactus was easily my height, and had a giant bright blue flower.

I looked around and saw none of the other surrounding cacti with a similar feature. I hopped onto the next boulder and slid off it and onto the dirt before trudging over to the cactus. I looked it up and down before poking the flower.

It felt real and nothing happened. I frowned and poked one of its arms with my rifle. Nothing.

I shot it, and its arm blew off in a spectacular displaying of green guts and juices.

But nothing happened

"What happened!" A voice chirped from behind me.

"Nothing." I sighed, knowing cheerleader probably had her weapons out.

"Did you shoot a cactus?"

"I thought it was a secret door!" I defended, turning back to her. "It looked out of place."

She gawked. "What?"

I waved off her comment, looking at the surrounding boulders that… were all in a circle around this cactus. My eyes went to the ground. This cactus was the only growing in this patch of dirt between the rocks.

"How often does a wild cactus grow on a circular patch of dirt that just so happens to be surrounded by boulders that block it from view?"

"Huh." I hear her grunt as she blinks down next to me. "Odd."

"No kidding…" I swept the outer edge of the dirt circle, and found a small rock, about the size of my head resting against its larger brethren. Oddly enough, there were scrape marks to the left of it, like it had been repeatedly rubbed against the larger boulder but only to the left.

Secret door anyone?

I pushed the rock with my foot and after a few inches of movement it locked up and the sounds of gears and pistons starting up filled the immediate vicinity. I went wide eyed as the ground suddenly started to shake and the Cactus from before toppled over when the ground opened up.

I blinked backwards onto the boulders and heard Cheerleader do the same as the ground opened up, the dirt sliding underneath the boulders. A small slab of rusted metal rose up from the darkness, at an angle mind you, and slide to a halt in place of the ground.

Damn thing looked old.

Nothing else happened so I jumped down and onto the platform. I stomped on it and it held.

"So I'm guessing this is some secret entrance type thing," I started as Cheerleader followed my lead and blinked down onto the platform. "How does it start?"

As if on cue the platform jerked and started to descend. I looked up as metal railings and walls passed as on our angled decent and watched as the sun and desert disappeared above, the ground sealing itself and closing us off from the world.

"Well that was easy…"

The light on my helmet powered up but there really wasn't anything to see aside from Cheerleader and the platform and the metal walls.

My grip tightened by a hair on my rifle. "Anyone else feel like this is a trap?" I spared a glance at the woman and she grimaced, her own body tensing for the moment we both knew was coming.

But nothing happened.

The platform descended, and we both stood there looking around, still waiting for the trap to pop up.

The light from Cheerleaders chest piece gave off a quaint glow but was dwarfed against my own. For a moment I considered asking her why she wore it but my thoughts were interrupted.

"Nate, I'm getting readings." Dig's voice suddenly filled my ear. "Pulses of energy from down below, like somethings powering up."

"Definitely a trap." I muttered, and several sparks of white trickled down my arms.

There was a screeching, the terrible shriek of metal on metal as a jerk signaled the platforms deceleration.

I gripped my weapon tighter. "Dig, any idea where this thing leads?"

"Like I said before, the deepest my scan revealed was the shaft you two are racing down. I have no idea what you're walking into." My ghost replied.

"Great." I mumbled as the descent came to a crawl, the metal walls around us disappearing as shadows and darkness engulfed the sides of the platform.

My weapon snapped up and my eyes took in the…

My eyes went wide. "Geez."

Immediately my light grew stronger as my own power fueled it and the light pierced the darkness. But considering the… bay? Hangar? Whatever it was, was bigger than a football field, well my little light did next to nothing but show us the faintest outlines of the vehicles inside and edges of the roof and wall.

"What in the world?" Cheerleader asked from my side and I couldn't help but agree. This place was even bigger than the Hangar back home in the Tower.

I stepped forward once, boot clanking off the metal floor as I kept my weapon up and lightly swept the area in front of me. My light showed several really old helicopters and old cars and trucks, but aside from that there was nothing special.

Dust kicked up as I took a second step and I waved my hand to clear the air.

"Where on earth are we?" Cheerleader asked from somewhere behind me.

"No idea." I replied starting forward. Dust billowed out from every step, and that alone showed me how old this place was.

This was the secret lair of some master torturer?

It met the whole creepy thing thats for sure.

 _Eeeekkkk…._

I spun around, weapon at the ready, and found Cheerleader standing next to a copter with her hand pressed against it. Apparently the aged metal wasn't fond of being touched.

"How about we don't touch shit and let everyone know we're here?" I hissed but she completely ignored me.

"Nate," she started, her voice a stark contrast from its usual peppy, energetic self, "this helicopter, its old… the design is decades old… They haven't used these since the Vietnam war."

I looked around. Considering I had generally no idea what she was talking about, I just had to play it off, but I tried comparing it to what I had seen in Korea and Rio. And well, I could agree that these things definitely looked a lot older than what I'd seen.

Ancient compared to my own stuff, but hey I'm like from the fucking future type shit so that didn't count.

"This base… we're in Mexico and they have US issued helicopters." She continued on her rant and then blinked around the helicopter and out of sight.

I rolled my eyes and blinked after her, landing on the other side of the copter as she landed next to another aircraft.

"Japanese Zero. World War II." She blinked again.

I blinked and boosted after her.

Again she was staring at another vehicle.

"Venom FB. Mark 1, Iraq Air force." She looked at the aircraft I landed next too and before I could say anything she continued, "Aero L-39 Albatros, Russian air force. They have dozens of aircraft from across the globe, all from different times. Why would anyone collect this?"

I grit my teeth. "Dig, do you have anything else on this place?"

Instantly my friend replied, "no. All I got from the files were the location and name of something called 'Project Illumination'."

"Illumination?"

"No idea, but you need to move. Those energy readings from earlier? They've almost quadrupled!"

"A bomb?"

"Well I'm not detecting any known explosive yields but ifs its energy based then it could be."

"Shit." I grumbled. "How long till it reaches a critical point?"

"About twenty minutes."

I rolled my head and exclaimed, "cheerleader we gotta find Hana now! Dig's picking up some energy readings and we don't want to be around once they reach critical point!"

She frowned then blinked on top of a nearby plane, turning on her heel as she obviously looked over the rows of aircraft for something. "The names Tracer. How much time do we have?"

"Twenty minutes, give or take." I replied, blinking up next to her and landing with a much harder thud than she did.

So she had a name, and it was Tracer? What kind of name was that?

"Wonderful." She muttered before she threw her hand out and pointed to the right end of the underground hangar. "There!"

And with a flash she was gone, blinking away towards what I finally saw was a door. Well a set of steal doors.

I followed, blinking and boosting after her till I landed with a _clunk_ behind her. My eyes spotted the keypad she was tampering with and then moved to the door. It too was rusted and old, but the beeps of the keypad obviously showed the facility was still powered.

Which left the questions of, why they had so many aircraft, and what was powering up.

"You know what you're doing?" I asked as I stood, cradling my rifle against the nook of my arm with a lazy aim at the door.

Her fingers clicked and clacked against the keypad as she started, "my friend Winston taught me how to break simple security. It's not too hard once you bypass the mainframe and access the key codes directly."

"The what?" To be honest, tech wasn't my area of expertise. That was Dig's. I was good at blowing shit up.

"And wha la," she proclaimed, turning as a hiss echoed out and the doors slid open. "easy as…."

Her voice died and for a moment time froze.

Three soldiers, black armor and red eyes, stood there in the doorway, weapons down by their sides, hands raised as if they had just been talking about something while the doors were shut and they were separated from us, but now were staring at us like we were ghosts.

We stared back.

I saw one of their heads look to the side, where the keypad was with a small gray button laying below the actual numbers.

They twitched.

I blinked at them, and the sound of Cheerlea- Tracer, doing the same echoed behind me. I was aimed directly at the man closest to the keypad and I landed in front of him, legs launching off the floor at him in a continuos motion as I drew my blade.

He tried to raise his rifle, but I smacked it down with my free hand and swung the blade in a arc in front of me, hitting the weak armor beneath his chin and ripping cloth and skin alike. Red spurted out of the now open neck and I kicked him away.

I spun on my heel and saw Cheerleader deflect a punch from one soldier with her forearm, and proceed to jab him three times in the torso. The second soldier was stumbling to his feet, having been knocked down apparently and I lunged at him.

My fingers wrapped around his throat and I slammed him against a wall.

Maybe it was sheer bad luck that three guards had been standing there when the door opened, but it also gave us an opportunity.

The soldier reached for the hand encasing his throat, trying to pry my fingers off before my free hand jammed my blade into one arm, piercing flesh and bone and eliciting a muffled cry from the man.

"Where's Hana Song?" I growled, loosening my grip on his throat and my motion tracker showed a friendly behind me.

"I- I don't know!" the man heavily replied, breath escaping him in random intervals.

I didn't believe him and twisted my knife. He screamed bloody murder and my blade tore muscle and I twisted it towards the nerve in the arm.

"Where is she?" I asked again.

"Please!" He begged.

I pulled the blade out and drove it into his left kidney. He screamed again.

"Tell me." My voice was controlled and even. He shivered and my grip tightened slightly.

"I swear to God I don't know! But- but, he might! The skull mask, Reaper! He'll know!" The man gasped, one arm still clawing at my own while his other hung uselessly at his side. He was talking about Vape God.

How many trained killers dressed like that?

I clenched my jaw and passed the blade a little deeper. "Where?"

"Down the hall! Take a right and he's in the control room! I swear to God!" His voice cracked and muffled sniffles fled from his nose.

I nodded and ripped the knife out before dropping him. I didn't bother to see what he did since he was too hurt to fight back and would probably just try to bandage himself up, so I turned and sheathed my blade.

Brown eyes met mine and I knew she disapproved of my methods, but she kept quiet about it. It told me she understood why I did it, but didn't like it.

Still, I felt bad. Maybe it was because of her, or the thought of Hana learning I tortured someone to find her. I don't know, but killing people wasn't fun, let alone torturing them. Maybe i made myself feel bad?

Oh well, I could worry about it later.

We started off down the hall, glancing down the rights to see if anything like a control room laid in the halls. The first three had nothing but more turns at the end of their respective halls so we skipped them. At the fourth right we saw a large set of steel doors that hinted at something important behind them so we took it.

Strange that no other guards or soldiers were around.

In fact, no one else so far had been around other than us.

The thoughts of a possible trap came back.

We reached the doors, and instead of waiting for the woman to hack it I simply drew Raze Lighter, courtesy of Dig transmatting it, and slammed its super heated blade into the metal. It ripped open like butter and my momentum carried me forward.

I raised my shield, expecting shots, but nothing came. My eyes scanned the shadow covered room, and from the advanced computers, screens and machinery that filled it I was ninety percent sure this was the control room.

A large glass viewport was off to the side, a few computers lined against it with a space between them that was obviously meant for looking out the window and too whatever was outside. Those computers were on with bright-

 _Blip!_

My motion tracker went off with two reds to my left and right.

Guards popped out from behind large computers and fired on me, but my shield deflected their bullets. Good thing I had kept my sword up.

A blue flash raced over me and to the guards on the right so I took the left. I rolled at them, ducking under their shots as I went, and boosted over the computers they were using for cover.

Shields flared as bullets bounced off me and I lunged down at the nearest guard. The blade cleaved him in half without a hitch and his body disintegrated as he let out a scream that would haunt any hardened soldier.

I turned on my heal and swiped at the second guards rifle, which broke like a toothpick. He tried to draw a side arm and I drove my blade through him too. He met the same fate.

I returned my sword to my back and drew my rifle once more. I walked out from the makeshift cover and found Cheerleader knocking out the last man, though the other was obviously dead from the bullets holes riddling his body.

So she does kill. Told you Hana.

The brit turned to me. "Oi, what're you standing around for?"

I shook my head and blinked up to the working computers.

"Dig, get down here and-"

"Nate."

I turned to look at Cheer- ah Tracer, and she was looking out the viewport. I walked over to her and followed her gaze.

The room we looked into was large and gray, like training arena, but it was empty save for a single metal table and a person on top of it.

Hana.

She was bloodied and from the rips in her clothes and dark spots on her skin I could only imagine what they had done to her.

But we found her.

I found her.

My rifle barked twice and the glass viewport shattered. I leapt through it, barley caring as I landed and my legs groaned from the thirty foot fall.

A head coated with brown hair turned to me and I saw her eyes. Tears stained them, but nothing else on her face moved. Her lips were cracked, her right eye blackened and swollen shut.

"Hana…" I jogged forward, and saw that her shirt was torn open and fresh wounds on her chest leaked blood.

I guess the tormentor was just here. I was going to make him pay.

"Well done."

I stopped in my tracks and shot at the voices owner, Vape God or as the guard had said- Reaper- who was standing across from me, at the other end of the arena and had just stepped out of the shadows as he spoke. He side stepped the shots but didn't raise his own weapons in return, in fact he wasn't even armed.

What the hell was he doing?

"You found Ms. Song."

I stepped forward but a hand grabbed my elbow and firmly stopped me. I tore my arm from Tracer's grasp and glared at her before looking back at the man in charge.

He raised a hand before I charged. "Take her and go, we don't need her anymore."

This bastard had the gall to talk about Hana like that? To act as if she was just some piece of meat? Like any of us were?

I growled and blinked forward to where I stood between Hana and this Reaper. None of these bastards would touch her again. I snarled and stated, "now you die."

"Nate!"

I jerked as a blade ripped through my shields and armor in one go, tearing out of my lower right side and through what I guessed was my intestines.

"Gah!' I roared as I stumbled forward, spinning and haphazardly firing at whoever had stabbed me.

Hana was there, standing with a glowing red blade protruding from her arm, and my bullets bounced off her skin harmlessly.

My eyes went wide.

Humans, not even Guardians, had bullet resistant skin and swords for arms, and I knew Hana was most defiantly human.

So that left me with one conclusion.

This was most definitely not Hana.

I fired again, and the bullets still had the same affect before this… thing charged me. Fortunately a flash of blue intercepted the being and sent it flying with a well placed top kick.

"You!" I roared turning to Reaper who… was gone.

"Uh Nate?" I heard Tracer say and I turned back to her and the imposter.

The imposter was standing now, its sword hand now back to a regular arm. It was then I noticed the differences.

Hana's skin was near flawless, that I had noticed, but even she had a speck of imperfection on her arms. This skin was perfect. Utterly flawless and smooth. The hair was also longer and a lighter brown than before. The only reason I noticed was cause I had spent the past weeks with her almost nonstop. Her chest was slightly too large and her gut too toned as well, but what really gave it away was the eyes.

They held nothing. No life, no remorse. They were blank.

Zero emotion.

"Did you really think you'd find her so easily?" A voice called out from above, electric and commanding.

I looked up but only saw the ceiling. They were using a PA system.

"It took time to regrow her skin and hair, but it was well worth it. A completely new Hana Song, one so close to the real thing that only someone very close to her could tell the difference."

 _Thunk._

I went wide eyed and back stepped a swipe from the impostor, raising my rifle and firing once more at point blank range.

They regrew her skin….

"Alas, Ms. Song was strong. Strong willed, but weak in the body. You failed at protecting her. Let that knowledge die with you both."

The voice ended and creaks filled the air, rumbling gears echoing off the walls.

I blocked a fist from the impostor, astonished by the fact it managed to push me back with strength that was superior even to mine, and side stepped its sword arm once more. I drew my own blade and blinked forward, jamming my electrified blade at its heart.

The tip of my blade found purchase and pierced through thick metal. Only about an inch went in and the impostor jabbed an elbow into my gut, knocking me back and leaving my blade protruding from its chest.

 _Thump!_

 _Thump!_

The ground shook and I rolled and twisted, under another onslaught of attacks from the imposter. Blue surrounded me and Tracer appeared under the imposter, driving her small feet into its chin and launching the thing away.

 _Thump!_

I grit my teeth and stepped back as I saw the cause of the thumping.

Three massive machines, all the same as the one from the warehouse, stood before us. The ceiling sealed itself back up after dropping its payload and I looked around to find an exit.

There was one.

But three machines and an impostor stood between us and it.

"Any ideas?" Tracer asked, a hint of anxiety clogging her voice.

As if on cue a flash of white glistened out from behind us and I glanced back.

Dig was there, floating above Bastion, whose eye was a dark red and aimed its weapon at the machines before us.

"Thought you could use a little help." My Ghost quipped before disappearing, and warmth engulfed me.

I drew Raze Lighter off my back and twirled it once.

"That impostor has a shielding system. Its magnetic, blocks anything like a bullet, but I'm guessing Arc powers managed to get through it, hence your ability to stab it." Dig informed me through the Coms. "It's also the source of energy of those energy readings. Whatever that things got in it is powerful."

"The others?"

"Same as before."

Great. Just as annoying to kill, and now there were three and a super impostor thing. Things just kept getting better and better.

The machines took a step forward, and the three giant ones drew swords, each larger than me.

Tracer took a step back and raised her machines guns. Bastion raised his own weapon.

I raised my sword.

Definitely a trap.

* * *

A dark cloak fluttered in the wind, sniper aimed down at the boulders where an old friend had disappeared with someone they didn't know, someone who had stolen several reels of news across the globe.

"Gabriel left, but Lena's still down there with that stranger." The woman spoke, her voice softer and old, the slightest hint of an accent muddling her words.

A man with gray hair kneeled next to her, a visor covering all but his forehead.

"We need to find out what he's planning." The man's voice was deep and rusty.

"And Lena?"

"She's a big girl. She'll be fine."

"She hasn't come out." The woman replied, her good eye narrowing at the man as the desert sun bore down its heat.

The man grunted. "Then we go in. Quick and quiet, and make sure she's all right. Can't let either know we're here though."

"Overwatch would hunt us down."

The man stood.

"And so would Gabriel."

* * *

"Gaaaahhhhhhh!"

Hana Song cried as the Conductor yanked the fish hook up, the fishing wire threaded through the back of her neck forcing her head up, water trickling down her face, and tears streaming from her eyes despite the fact her head was drenched.

"I vill ask once more, madam, tell me the code." The man asked, a normal, simple smile plastered on his face.

She gasped, water dropping dow her lips and cheeks. A raspy cough escaped her and spits of water left her mouth. She hardened her gaze and looked at the man.

"Go to hell."

The man sighed. He glanced at the two black geared soldiers standing on either side of her. "Again."

She sucked in a breath and one man yanked her hair back before thrusting her face back into the barrel of water. She held her breath, her eyes still stinging from tears and the man's grip tightened.

Pain shot through her skull but she kept her mouth shut and her nose still.

She had too.

She thrashed and felt the second guard hold her hands to keep her from hitting anyone. She had tried escaping twice, and each time ended up getting beaten by the guards. A pair of ribs were still broken from those encounters but she held strong.

Or at least she was trying too.

An ache spread through her lungs. She needed to breath and her head jerked back on instinct. The guard pushed her head further into the water.

She began to shake, violently thrashing as her body demanded air and panic once more overtook her.

Pain grew.

Panic grew.

Lungs demanded air. Her body demanded air.

She couldn't help it any longer and sucked in water for air. Her eyes went wide and she tried to pull back. This time she was allowed and she fell back, head leaving the water as her lungs expelled the intruding water with harsh, thick coughs.

Her stomach wretched, but nothing came out, only coughs.

The fish hook once more was yanked up and she screamed again, looking at the man pulling the infernal device.

Oh how she wanted to punch his scrawny face in.

"Now, again I ask. The code."

She pursed her lips.

The code he was referring to was a code she actually didn't know. Her commander was the only one who knew it, at least as far as she knew, and it was meant for remote shut down of her Mekka unit.

But she didn't know it. So she had to hold out, it was the only reason she was alive, she was sure of it.

Nate and Lucio would find her. She was sure of it. They just needed time, so she had to buy some.

"Like I said," she started, "go to hell."

The man grinned and cleared his throat. "Agai-"

 _Swick!_

"Sir!"

Her eyes shot to the doorway where another solider stood, automatic doors having opened for him.

"What?" The man growled and she saw the soldier clench his fist.

" _He's_ on the line for you." The soldier replied.

The Conductor nodded and sighed, releasing his grip on the fish hook before stepping forward and cutting the fishing wire free from her skin.

Relief wasn't even close to describing what she felt.

"Lock her up till I return." The man walked over to the long table in the room, typing away on a laptops keyboard before turning and leaving her alone with the soldiers as the doors closed. She wondered is the bastard kept detailed accounts of his sessions on that computer.

She glared after him but complied when the soldiers yanked her up to her feet and practically dragged her to the cell hidden in the far back shadows of the room. She didn't complain when they tossed her in and the concrete hit her.

She was just grateful to have something between her and them.

With a pained grunt she got up to her knees, glaring at the soldiers who now stood guard at the cell door with their backs to her. She wished she had her pistol.

Or at least Last Word. Who knows what they did with it when they kidnapped her.

Her eyes fell to the laptop on the table.

Oh how she wished to go home and play StarCraft. To click on buttons and commands, and to the days where her biggest worries were wether or not she would win the next tournament.

Then she saw it.

At the top right corner, the little connection bar…. It was full. It was full!

They had internet here! The Internet could be tracked! More specifically, internet posts could be tracked, especially by a highly advanced computer in the name of Dig!

But that required her getting out of her cell and getting past well trained soldiers with broken ribs. Then there was the cell door too…

Her shoulders slumped.

It was a good idea, but there was noway to get out. Sure they had to keep her alive, but they'd beat her within an…

Wait.

They had to keep her alive. They needed the code still.

If she hurt herself they'd have to come help her in the name of keeping her alive, which means they'd open the cell door!

She looked up at the soldiers. They had rifles, but they also had side arms. If they were trying to help her getting a side arm would be easy. If she used it, which she would have to to even stand a chance, she'd have seconds before other soldiers came in.

But if she pulled it off, posted something on any social network, anything at all….

Then that damn machine of Nates better be able to track it.

It was either try and reach out, or hope they find her and endure.

She narrowed her gaze.

No way in hell was Hana Song gonna go down without a fight.

So she decided. Her plan was ready, now she needed a distraction. What could she do? Her eyes traveled her cell. Nothing loose was anywhere near her, no way to cut herself or fake a suicide attempt without them knowing.

Heart attack? No, she was too young, they'd probably catch on.

Seizure then. She'd seen a classmate have one in primary school. That's what she could do. Fake a seizure. They'd have to help.

She sighed, and slumped her shoulders, wobbling her head slightly. "I don't feel…" she managed before flopping herself over.

She made sure to make noise, and was rewarded with a glance from one of the guards. Then she rolled her eyes to the side, hung her mouth open and started jerking. First her legs then her arms, then her head. She did her best to make it random and purposefully pushed spit from her mouth.

It wasn't pretty, and she could only hope to play it off like the real thing.

But she could barely ehe while she jerked around. She didn't know if they were even paying attention to her.

The sound of the opening cell door caught her ear.

"Shit, grab her head, keep her from killing herself. Damn doc will turn us into a freak show if she dies on our watch." One of them exclaimed, though she couldn't tell who because she was throwing her head around like a madman.

She felt hands grab her head and force her to steady but she kept twitching and rolled her eyes downward.

The other guard grabbed her shoulders. The one who had her head.. his sidearm was inches from her hand.

She made her move. She grabbed the sidearm and slammed her forehead into the nearest soldiers head. Of course he had head protection but the point was to get the gun, which she did, and her hand slipped up to where she placed her gun on the soldiers chest, the one who was holding her shoulders.

 _Bang!_

The shot tore right through him and the second soldier, who had reeled back from her headbutt, stumbled back and tried to grab his rifle which was slung over his back.

 _Bang! Bang!_

She fired twice, one in the mans leg, the next in his head. He dropped like a sack of flour and she sprung to her feet.

Her ribs ached but she ignored the pain and dashed out of the cell to the computer.

She slammed her fingers into the keyboard, and fortunately it hadn't fallen asleep or locked itself yet. She hit several keys and the internet browser popped up.

 _Swick!_

"Shit!" She pointed the pistol and fired at the now open doors.

The soldier from outside threw himself out of sight and she grabbed the computer before ducking down under the table.

"Come on!" She growled as Facebook opened up. She entered her email and footsteps rang out. She looked up and fired off several more shots at the legs of the soldier rushing in. They hit and the man collapsed yelping in pain as she finished him off with another shot.

The clip clicked empty and she tossed the gun away.

She looked back and entered her password.

The sounds of boots rang from the hall outside and she cursed.

She had seconds.

Her page loaded up. She hit the text box at the top and typed, _'Nate!'_

"Keep her alive!" The conductors voice rang out and she saw boots enter the room. She hit enter, but knew she couldn't let them find what she had done. She slammed the laptop shut and dove out from under the table towards her cell.

A soldier lunged for her and she slammed the laptop into him. It shattered and he stumbled back.

"Enough of this!"

She froze and soldiers lined the room, at least six of them. The Conductor stood in the center and raised his arms at her.

"We can do this the hard way or the easy way my beautiful escapee." He stated with a calm smile.

She gulped and raised her fists.

"Then the hard way it is."

* * *

 **A/N So its been a while but here is the next installment. Sorry it takes long but school is really killing me right now. But here it is. Finally got it done. Its also the longest chapter so theres that.**

 **Alas we see what Tracer was doing before helping Nate, and how exactly she took down a whole police station in time. You can't tell me Winston wouldn't invent a fast acting knock out gas for crowd control. He invented a machine to control time travel. Fast acting gas is a piece of cake. Lucio's alive, Nate and them fell into a trap, Hana's being a badass despite her setbacks, and two more people have entered the fray. I'm sure you all know who they are.**

 **Of course more will be explained next chapter as we have about five more left in this first part.**

 **Onto reviews.**

 **kyro2009: I get that. Hana will have to face consequences because of the things done to her, but I won't outright write some stuff. Stuff like… for example Rape and shit is too much even for me. IF I were to do anything that dark I would simply infer it, I couldn't write. I don't think I could handle writing something like that you know? Alas, the whole story won't be all death and decay, but there will be harsh realities if you get me?**

 **Rasputin: Now that would be funny!**

 **Bearybeary: I hope so too! Nate still has a chance though, not everyone hates him.**

 **Realist: Thanks man. It does take a lot**

 **Guest: Ha im not dead.**

 **ecoolasice: Um for Destiny or Overwatch?**

 **Guest: Yes they care then, but also in darkness zones where the light is snuffed out and they can't revive ever again. Hence Oryx's power of darkness and snuffing out light.**

 **Amir-015: Possibly, but not now. As you can see, they want information. By why shut down her unit? What does Talon gain?**

 **HHunter101: Cool I get that. Don't worry, Hana Song won't become some dark gothic avenger character or anything like that. She'll just have to deal with traumas.**

 **Foreteller of Three: He didn't transmit out because of the fact he would've had to expose his ghost. And yeah I tried to fix most of the errors here.**

 **Arc-Angel-Of-Fire: Sorry that you felt that way…. I kinda agree but only because the most information that ties it together is in this chapter. It was just too long to put everything into it.**

 **DMD Hanafin: I can do some torture. Such as here where Hana's basically water boarded.**

 **SlightlyOff7: He would've had to expose his ghost. Not really a good thing around finicky cops.**

 **Normally I try to respond to every review but this time there are just too many. I'll respond to direct PM's and review with questions or point that need addressing or further clarification.**

 **So yeah. This is this. That is that, and heres to Overwatch!**

 **Thanks again fellow readers! Review please! God bless you all!**

 **-Metal4k**


	10. Chapter 10

**The Darkest Knight**

 **Part I: The Reforming of Overwatch**

 **Chapter 10: The Breaking of Hana Song Part I**

* * *

I blocked with my forearm, stopping the impostors punch at the cost of a few feet.

They lunged at me and I was forced to back step before sweeping around my left arm in a wide hook, which it effectively deflected with a back hand before jabbing at my gut.

I ducked and drove my fist upward, only to have it dodged as well. With a growl I pressed and tried a few punches to the head and neck before being forced back on the defensive when the impostor tried a sweeping kick.

A quick leap over it allowed me to avoided being tripped but the impostor didn't hesitate and followed through with a slash from its sword arm. I stumbled back, barely avoiding the slash for my head and countered with a blink strike.

My arc powered blade slammed into its forearm, but the impostor retaliated with a low kick to my gut which sent me reeling back.

I hit the metal floor and rolled to a crouch. A heavy sigh escaped me as pain thumped in my lower stomach courtesy of the impostors earlier stab.

The impostor pulled my blade from its arm and tossed it away.

Well there goes my second knife.

I stand up and raise my fists. I only have only blade left now. Can't risk using it unless its for a for sure kill shot.

Then again…

What the hell's a kill shot for this thing!

I back stepped a the impostor charged forward, anticipating its first strike. My gamble paid off and I avoided its punch with time to spare before returning a well placed kick to its head. the head of Hana snapped back but the impostor went with the blow and spun around before delivering a round house kick to my neck.

It hit and I flew to the side, gaging as my throat closed up and I hit the floor before rolling to a stop.

The impostor was on top of me before eI could blink and drove its sword down at my neck. I barely moved out of the way in time then boosted so I shot out from under the machine and away.

I growled as I landed.

My Arc powers hurt it, but unless I overloaded it I doubt I could truly kill it like that. Plus from the amount of energy it was outputting, I doubt I could generate enough Arc to overpower that. My Shadowshot could possibly slow it, but if I missed, God only knows if it'd hit someone else like Tracer. Slowing her down would be a death sentence.

So I had one option; Golden Gun. A triple powered kill shot.

I blinked once as it stepped towards me to ensure I had enough space to let off several more shots to which the impostor simply charged at me. Of course my bullets were useless, but I wasn't trying to hurt it like that anymore.

I needed it to doubt my intentions. It was smart, thinking, so I had to trick it into dodging somehow.

"Nate, behind you!"

The voice of the Cheerleader caught my ear and I instantly blinked up.

A giant sword swept through the air of where I had been and I boosted to the left, spinning mid air as I fired off a few more shots. Gravity pulled me back down and I landed in a roll, getting back to my feet in one swift motion.

The impostor was idling walking towards me, no emotion gracing its face, but the background was what caught my eye.

Tracer was blinking back and forth, doing what she could against two of the massive machines with her high powered sub machine guns. What sucked is that she seemed to be distracting them more than anything else. Her weapons just didn't have the punch to beat that armor.

Then Bastion was basically fist fighting the third giant machine. Unfortunately the machine was far more nimble than him, and he was losing, his armor dented and cracked despite the fact his machine gun gave him a range advantage.

I grit my teeth.

We were losing. We needed a Hail Mary.

Of course Gjallarhorn would be great for finishing these things off but-

I cursed and ducked under and around the impostor, deflecting one of its strikes with a palm heeled strike.

Damn it! I just didn't have the room to pull it out! If I missed Tracer or Bastion could get vaporized!

They succeeded in pulling us apart, in forcing us to fight alone rather than together!

I traded two punches with the impostor before it anticipated my attack, caught my arm and kicked me hard in the chest, sending me flying to the ground.

I used the momentum and haphazardly stumbled back to my feet.

Wait...

My eyes went wide.

They separated us, because together we're a threat! Hell when the impostor jumped me,but together Tracer and I were able to push it back with ease!

If I could get my allies together…. If I could let off an arrow from Shadowshot when they gathered to fight us…

It would be game over.

But that still left me with the problem of getting past the impostor and getting them in a group.

The thing walked towards me, its left arm forming into its sword. It lunged, this time a soft white glow surrounding it.

I stepped back, and twisted my arm so I grabbed its arm and yanked it forward, my fist meeting its face head on. It's head snapped back, but its other hand simultaneously flew up and latched itself around my throat!

Shit!

I lurched back, hoping to slip from it's grasp, but its grip held firm and It's sword arm slipped from my grasp! I let arc power burst out from me, briefly empowering Arc Blade, and the impostor stumbled back, releasing me.

The moment gave me a chance so I blinked forward and slammed my grenade onto its chest. It stuck and I blinked back as it tried to grab me, where a second later my grenade exploded and sent the machine flying back in a flash of white.

The white power surrounding me flashed and orange flames engulfed my person.

My hand shot up and Golden Gun formed. I let one shot fly, but the impostor had recovered and it simply twisted around the shot, letting the solar powered bullet hit and melt part of the wall.

I growled and flicked my gaze to Tracer and Bastion. They were still fighting, but Bastion losing big time now! He stumbled back and the machine before him drew its sword, preparing to take his head off!

"Shit." I spun on my heel and fired at the knee of the machine.

My second shot hit, and the knee buckled, melting metal instantly, and the machine toppled over.

 _Wham!_

Something hit me in the head and I tumbled to the floor, my sol power evaporating and my head spinning.

"Holy-"

 _Crack!_

A blade pierced my shoulder and I howled.

The impostor drove the blade further, the glow somehow allowing it to move seamlessly through my shields and armor! I grabbed it with my hands and tried my best to push it back.

But as I said earlier, it was stronger than me, so my resistance barley did anything.

I looked at the thing above me and its head tilted as if questioning me.

It's eyes started to glow bright, and its lips curled into a smile as a voice suddenly emulated, "you failed. Let that knowledge die with you."

"Fuck you!" I yelled and Arc surrounded me once more. My strength increased with the power of light and I pushed the blade up before releasing a surge of arc. The impostor's blade pulled out entirely but it still hovered, only being knocked back by inches this time.

It was enough though, and I drew my knife with one hand, jamming it underneath the blade as it once more tried to impale me. The force was enough to throw off the machines momentum and it tumbled forward allowing me to drive my knees into its gut and kick it away.

A moment later I was back on my feet, one hand covering the gaping hole in my shoulder, the other holding my knife by my side.

Two hits it had gotten on me, and I had yet to land anything to that would harm it.

Fucking shit.

"Dig, any ideas?" I asked though clenched teeth.

I blinked back as the impostor raced at me once more, and I tried to roll-

"Duck!"

 _Wham!_

I flew forward and the impostor raised its leg to catch my throat, close lining me, and I flipped, tumbled, and crashed into the ground with less grace than a crashing plane.

"Fuck." I growled getting back to my feet as a blue flash landed next to me.

Tracer stood there, chest heaving as she tried to breath and sweat beading her neck and forehead. "Luv, these things just don't die."

I looked at the two massive machines standing behind the impostor now, Bastion off to the side limping as he continued fighting the now legless third machine.

"Sorry for the late warning." Dog's voice filled my ear, "unless you can hit them with a Shadowshot arrow or Golden gun bullet, theres not much else we can do. Gjallarhorn could vaporize them but I know you don't want to risk it."

"Fuck it, give it to me."

I felt the weight of the rocket on my back and grimaced as I was forced to adjust my stance to compensate for the pain.

The machines stared forward.

"When I yell now you get as far from these three as you can." I ordered, low and menacing.

The Brit glanced at me but said nothing. I knew she heard me though when she blinked forward multiple times, and flipped over the impostor, hailing the two larger machines with bullets before blinking behind them as to avoid being hit.

The impostor wasn't fazed and came right for me.

"Shit." I blinked backwards, but was cut short by the wall. "Shit!"

It struck at me and I ducked, driving my elbow into its side with the hope of throwing it off balance. It worked and I blinked away from it, simultaneously drawing Gjallarhorn.

I took aim but the impostor barrel rolled towards the larger machines, as if anticipating my hesitation with Tracer in the midst.

"Now!"

Blue blinked away from the three and I smirked.

"Fuck you." I fired and the rocket sailed forth and-

 _Slick!_

I watched in horror as a bolt of energy hit the rocket mid air and detonated it. The trackers flew outwards and hit the ground, creating even more of a haze.

How the fuck had it done that!

The haze parted and the impostor leapt through the remnants of smoke, right for me.

I may not like dying, but fuck it.

I raised the rocket.

The impostor raised it's sword.

My finger hovered over the trigger and-

"Look out!" Tracer slammed her heels into the impostor mid air and the machine flew by me, my finger cramping as I resisted my jump reflex and barley avoided blowing the woman into a million pieces.

"Damn it!" I roared, knowing my victory had just been taken and I spun on my heel, raising the rocket at the impostor again.

 _Boom!_

My shields flared and flew back once more, the sound of Tracer shouting barley audible through my ringing ears. A hard thump let me know I hit the ground and I rolled to my side, my hands free of my weapon, and groaned as I pushed myself up.

"Fucking, mother, fucking shit." I hissed as I looked up to see one of the large machines aiming its canon at me. My rocket lying on the ground between me and it.

"You failed. Let that die with you." The voice once more stated, loud and for all to hear.

"Oh fucker." I growled and arc swirled around me. "I'm not gonna be the one dying today."

 _Ra-ta-ta-ta-ta!_

The sound of machine gun fire filled the air, well the sounds of one that I didn't know, and I watched as bullets slammed into the back of the larger machine machine before a trio of rockets hit it and forced it into a stumble.

The impostor spun on its heel and flipped back and away as more bullets suddenly riddled its position.

I looked up and saw two people standing at the edge of the control room, where I had leapt down from in a rush to save the fake Hana.

One was a man from his stance and build, gray hair and a visor with a red slit in it, a blue, red, and white jacket over him. He was the one shooting.

The sound of steps nearing me caught my attention and I barley blinked back as the impostor tried taking off my head once more. I landed and primed another grenade before tossing it at the ground as it lunged at me.

The trip mine detonated and the machine flew back, its own shields flaring as it flew back into the ground.

It tried to stand and suddenly another trio of rockets slammed into it, sending it into another tumble.

I took the advantage and spun on my heel, dark power swirling around me as a bow formed in my hands.

"Tracer, get the rocket!"

I fired once and the arrow slammed into the impostor, but I kept turning and a second arrow hit the machine that was just getting back to its feet after being hammered by, what I guess were the two new guests and Tracer.

The second arrow sprouted tendrils that wrapped around the machine nearest it and Tracer barley blinked away before she too was caught, scooping up my weapon from the floor in the process.

"Take the shot!"

Gjallarhorn unleashed its payload and in a brilliant flash the two large machines were vaporized.

I didn't celebrate and looked back at the impostor, who was struggling to rush forward at me. The dark power of the void was replaced with burning fire and I raised Golden Gun.

But the impostor broke free and my first shot missed as it ducked, sword scraping the floor as it rushed me.

I took aim again and fired, it once more dodged and I let the fire dwindled down to a flicker, dark void once more engulfing me as I lunged forward to meet its attack.

It struck at me but I twirled around it, and fired an arrow straight into its back.

Bullets riddled it, a trio of rockets slammed into it, and I tossed a grenade into the mix just to add to the fun.

The explosion swallowed the immediate area and I stepped back drawing Golden gun once more, its last shot ready to go as thin smoke filled the air.

It was still standing, metal dented and the fake skin and hair scraped clean. It turned towards me and its sword twitched.

 _Zip!_

Something hit the machine and its eyes went wide before it slumped over, twitching awkwardly.

I didn't wait and fired.

The machine was gone in a flash of golden fire, no part of it left as the light claimed its prey.

I sighed and looked around for Bastion. He was still standing… limping, but alive, and the third machine was down for the count. Whoever had taken it down I didn't know but who cares.

We did it.

"Are you okay?"

I glanced to my right and saw Tracer standing next to me. Huh. I hadn't even heard her get near me.

"I'll live." I grunted, my side and shoulder throbbing.

"Here." An arm slipped around my waist before raising up and holding the lower part of my chest. Her other arm pulled mine over her shoulders.

I laughed as she helped me up. "I'm fine."

"Barely." A new, old voice filled the air.

We both looked up and saw our two new 'friends' standing before us, their weapons down as they watched Tracer help me over to them.

Granted I could get around fine on my own, but having some help was nice.

"You're bleeding internally." The hooded one, a woman with an eyepatch, stated.

"I can take care of it." I replied, but continued, "thanks though. Made things easier for the three of us."

The gray haired man nodded and the woman gave us a tired, but heart filled smile. "It's the least we could do."

I nodded as Bastion walked over to us and I saw them tense up. I raised a hand. "He's with me. Saved my ass several times."

"He's an omnic soldier." The man raised his rifle.

I pushed Tracer off me and took a step in front of Bastion. "No he's not. His model is, _he's_ not. He saved my ass multiple times, and you can ask cheerleader here how he spared her life before."

The mans head tilted to Tracer.

She nodded gently, "it did have us pinned but never went for the kill shot. It's not all evil, I think..." Her voice was far off and she seemed... distracted. Whatever.

It was quiet for a moment, aside form the krinks and creaks of Bastion's joints.

The man finally accepted the explanation as he lowered his gun, but now I had questions. "So, not that I'm not grateful, but who are you guys?"

"Jack Morrison… Ana Amari…" Traced stated from my side.

I looked down at her then back at them.

So apparently she knew them?

Huh.

* * *

Lena couldn't believe her eyes.

They…. They had died! Both of them! Ana died in a sniper fight and Jack…. She had been there when the fight happened! She saw Gabriel and him go up in flames!

She felt the water behind her eyes and a snarl formed on her usually cheery face.

"How!" She demanded before she pointed accusingly at those that at one point, were her mentors. "How?"

Her voice was ragged. Her mind confused.

"Lena." The elder man stated, his voice gruff as always, his stance commanding and powerful. But he carried another vibe about him…. something far different than before.

"Jack…" She started, blinking as she tried to assess her emotions. "I saw you die. I saw the HQ go up in flames."

The man didn't reply and she shook her head, a giant sigh escaping her as her emotions reigned themselves in and a small smile appeared on her face. "At least you're alive."

"Jack Morrison's dead." The man replied. "Take care, Lena," he turned and she went wide eyed before looking at Ana.

The older woman gave her a sad smile. "Lena, he's… different, but he's still Jack. Even though he refuses to admit it."

The man let out a huff as he continued walking away.

"We saw you come in here and thought, he" she pointed at Nate beside her, "was going to harm you. Guess it was good we decided to come and help out after all, though it was because of rogue omnics and not him."

"Not Rogue omnics." Nate suddenly interrupted.

The elder sniper glanced to him and she saw Morrison stop in his tracks.

"Some radical group. No idea who they are, but they've got this weird dude with a skull mask and-"

"Talon." She and Nate both glanced at Morrison who was looking back at them over his shoulder.

"Yup. Up to no good again." She responded, glancing at Nate once more.

The taller man looked back and forth between her and Morison before speaking up, "Okay who the hell is Talon? You said a group that's been fighting you for years but that doesn't explain why they'd want Hana?"

He was referring to her early explanation of Talon…. Maybe she should've elaborated on who they were.

But she wasn't the expert.

So she shot a look at her old Commander and to her exact expectation he spun around and fixed Nate with a hard glare one could feel from even behind the visor. "They're an international terrorist organization thats been operating in the shadows ever since Overwatch was taken down. Whatever it is they want there've been incidents like this across the globe. Scientists gone missing, Gibraltor being broken in too," he fixed her with his glare, "high ranking military officials from several countries disappearing and reappearing overnight, covert weapon shipments in the Favela."

"And what does this have to do with Hana?"

"High ranking military official. Take a guess." The Commander stated.

She looked at Nate, who tensed up and replied, "information, _that_ , I get. But why her? She's still not that high ranking. Just a squad leader, not enough to warrant kidnapping and assassination."

"A squad leader of a Mekka team that's capable of driving back the largest Omnic on the planet." Ana answered for Morrison.

"They want to shut the Mekka squad down?" She finally asked, confused as to where Morrison was going with this. "But, there's no gain in that! What could even Talon get from taking Song?"

"That's what I don't know. But no matter what it is, there's a massive security breach in the worlds intelligence communities. Talon's going unchallenged, but," Morrison looked at her and sighed, "looks like Winston decided enough was enough."

She smiled. "What'd else you expect love?"

"For you all not to be idiots."

She blinked. Thats… not at all what she expected.

"Jack." The elder woman of the two warned, her own voice soft yet demanding.

"No." The man replied. "They both need to hear this." He looked at her then at Nate, "you're going to get yourselves and a lot of people killed. Talon's not playing around, and the UN won't stand for Overwatch intervening anymore. It's finished, accept that and let us deal with it."

"I'm not apart of Overwatch. I'm just looking out for my friend." Nate replied.

"Overwatch helps everyone. We're the ones who stopped Gabriel from getting Doomfists gauntlet and Winston stopped Talon from getting all former agents locations." She shot back, ignoring Nate's comment.

Morrison shook his head. "And now people are disappearing across the globe and you all are running after this man on a wild goose chase." His finger shot at Nate and she felt the younger man tense.

"We thought-"

"Overwatch shouldn't be around anymore. It was disbanded for a reason. This whole vigilante thing, this hero thing, it doesn't work Lena." Morrison interrupted.

She scowled, "says the man running around trying to stop Talon."

"Because I know what I'm dealing with. We're not heroes. We're a means to an end." He replied, his voice controlled and empty.

"Love, that's a thin line-"

"Leave it alone Lena," Morrison interrupted again, causing her to glare at the man, "this isn't a game, you know that. So stop acting like a child, and go home."

"Don't treat me like that nineteen year old girl you used to know. I'm not naive, Jack. " Lena frowned.

This wasn't the Jack Morrison she knew.

This one was… he wasn't a leader.

He wasn't the man who saved her life.

* * *

"All right," I growled, thoroughly annoyed with this old hag and his constant bickering with Tracer, "I'm done with this, so I'm finding Hana, and I don't give a shit about your family squabble, and unless you want to help us, you better get out of my way."

I instantly stepped forward and pushed past the two old soldiers. Fortunately they weren't trigger happy and just let me go, the loud steps of Bastion following behind me as Dig appeared in front of me.

I glanced back, and Tracer met my gaze.

"You coming?"

I mean… She had come with me, so I wasn't just gonna leave her here.

She hesitated and glared at the obviously older pair, a deep sigh escaping her chest.

"We'll stop Talon, Jack… but, we could use your help. The others… they…"'

Huh impressive. She as still able to acknowledge the advantage of having their experience in a war, despite having been basically insulted by this guy.

Seems like she still respected him.

Last time I saw someone insult a girl subtly, despite being her senior, was with Kathy. She knocked the fucker out cold. Then again he kinda called her a bitch…. probably calls for more drastic retaliation then being called naive.

Like the dude called her a bitch for winning at a game of pool! Who does that!

"Say what you want. I'm doing this my way." The man spun away from her and headed towards the door at the far end of the room.

The elder woman frowned at both of us. "Be safe Lena, and find Song. Who knows what Talon's done to her."

There was something implied by the words but the woman followed after Jack before either me or Tracer could question her further.

I saw that Tracer looked after them, her shoulders slumped slightly as the Morrison dude blew the door open with a trio of rockets and headed through, disappearing in the halls beyond, the older woman following him closely.

"Tracer?" I asked, my voice softer this time.

Sure I may be a dick sometimes, but I knew when something was personal. Obviously she had history with those two.

"Let's go." She said turning away from the doorway and walking over to me.

I nodded and Dig's light washed over all three of us, and a moment later we were in the bay of my ship. The low hum of the engines filled the air and I made my way towards the front of the ship, giving a brief thanks to Bastion for having my back to which he beeped at.

Guess my translator got damaged, but Dig said he was happy to help but would need to repair himself for a few hours.

Which was good so I didn't feel bad as we left him alone in the hangar.

"Dude what the hell happened?" Lucio's voice shoed off the walls, the man in question raising his arms as if we were crazy as got off the couch and walked towards us.

"Ran into some trouble." I replied. "Couldn't risk having either you or Dig down there. Fortunately, some old friends of hers showed up and helped us kick ass."

"That I get, but where the hell's Hana? Last I heard Dig said you found her," He motioned to us, "but she's not here. What happened?"

"Well," I drawled, my armor disappearing and being replaced with my lazy clothes as I walked over tot he couch and plopped down, "long story short, they set a trap, and made a robot thing that looked almost exactly like Hana."

I groaned as the dull pain in my side and shoulders returned. "Fuck. Yeah the shit got a few good hits on me too."

I sat up and Dig appeared with another case of sealing gel. I waved him off and said, "save it. I'll heal in a day or so."

Dig's voice then popped up in my head, ** _"Nate, your wounds are mortal. Not as drastic as the last time, but unless you wanna try killing yourself again in front of these two then go ahead! See how explaining to them that your fucking immortal works out."_**

 ** _"Give it to me."_** I growled in my head and took the floating gel packet from the ghost.

"So," I started, as I opened the packet and started applying the gel after I took my shirt off, "who the hell were your friends down there? I'm grateful, but the dude seemed like a real prick."

Lucio follow my gaze and looked to Tracer who frowned and wiped away the last of the sweat from her brow. She pursed her lips. "His name's Jack Morrison. He was the head of Overwatch before we were shut down."

"Wait, _the_ Jack Morrison?! He died!" Lucio exclaimed the moment she stopped talking.

I frowned. This man had died apparently…. but was still here. Maybe I wasn't the only immortal on this Earth.

"I thought he did." Tracer frowned and she blinked over to the kitchen table, taking a seat as she continued, "but…. I don't know how either him or Ana are alive. Ana was shot through the eye. Jack died in an explosion… But Gabriel's still around, so I guess its not surprising that he made it too."

"Gabriel?" I asked with a flinch. Dig feed my mind a stream of information about my wounds and... huh, apparently the sword to my gut had struck a kidney. No wonder it was a mortal wound.

"He was Jack's friend. All of ours' friend. But… Something happened. I don't know what." She replied with a sadness I hadn't seen in long time. "But, they died, we were shut down, and… well we were all on our own. Till Winston called us all back in."

"And now Overwatch is getting back together." Lucio replied, the hint of a smile on his face as he grunted and sat back down at the table near Tracer.

"We are. Someone needs to stop Talon." She smiled.

I groaned as my hand gripped my shoulder and applied the last half of the gel. "Well, that's all fine and dandy, but we still have no idea where Hana is, not to mention the fact they set a trap for us!"

Lucio frowned and Tracer's smile died like a wilting flower. The woman hand went to her chin as she obviously started thinking, "then there was that machine."

Forgot about that…

I nodded. "That thing was advanced." And since I was from the future and all…. that was saying something.

"You said there was a power source in that facility right? Do you think that machine was protecting it?" She asked.

I shook my head, "no, _it_ was the power source. How that thing even managed to contain that kind of charge was ridiculous, but its probably why that thing was so damn hard to kill."

"And it looked like Hana." She added.

I ran my hand over my face, trying to piece the puzzle together. "Why though? These people.. Talon, tried to kill her, why build a robot, an impostor that can pass off as her?"

"Maybe they were trying to replace her?" Lucio offered up.

"Maybe." Dig added over the intercom in my ship. "Hit her with a close kill shot, have her transported to a hospital…"

Where the fucker was I didn't know, but I nodded and continued for him, his thoughts flowing together with mine, "…then have someone on the inside kill the real her, replace her with an impostor, then like magic you have a pawn in control of one of the strongest military units on the planet."

Damn…

Not a bad plan.

"We need to find her." Tracer stated firmly.

I nodded but sighed, "but we have no idea where she is."

"Actually, thats not true!" Dig yelled from what I assumed was the cockpit.

Huh, guess he was doing something in there.

"What do you mean?" Tracer asked for me.

"What I mean," Dig said as he floated into our conversation from behind me, his parts twirling as he looked at all of us, "her Facebook feed's been empty for several weeks, but guess what popped up only about half an hour ago."

"Hana." I stated wide eyed, tossing the remaining gel away and sliding my shirt on.

"Well, more specifically she typed 'Nate', but yes. Unless someone broke into her account, and knows your name, then I'm pretty sure it's her." The Ghost replied.

"Well where is she!" Lucio exclaimed, his face bright now that he knew his friend was still alive.

"It could be a trap." Tracer spoke softly, her words foreboding.

I shook my head. "I doubt it. They sprung this on us, and no one but you two and her know my name."

"The post came from a backwater sever, but I was able to track it down while you were out here bitching about your wounds." Dig stated and holographic map popped up in front of us. I ignored his jab and stood up.

A glowing blue line appeared and traveled form our current location all the way to the country north of us, right in the smack dab middle of it.

"The United Kingdom?" Tracer asked crossing her arms.

"What about it?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Aside from one incident in the past few months, it's one of the few places I thought we eradicated Talon from. I'm surprised they're already up and running again."

"How long will it take us to get there?" I asked Dig.

"About five hours, but we'll be using the last of our fuel."

"Get us there." I replied without hesitation.

He, well did the equivalent of what would be nodding for a Ghost, and spun his parts. "I'll let you three know when we're close."

"You good?" I asked Tracer and Lucio.

"Ready for payback man." Lucio grinned. The dude was still hurt, but gotta admire his spirit.

She nodded once. "Just cheeky, but remember we still need to talk after all this."

Shit I forgot about that. She wanted to have a therapy session with her buddies.

Yay…

"Fine," I stated, "so long as we get Hana out alive. If we don't…" I sent her glare and she frowned.

"I want you to know that it's not just Talon I'll be blaming."

She nodded.

It was harsh, but I needed to get my point across.

I didn't care for their politics, or their quarrels.

I owed a debt.

A debt that meant saving my friend.

No matter the cost.

* * *

 **(WARNING: Graphic content contained. If you have a problem with detailed [though it may not even be detailed], even slightly detailed torture scenes, this section may not be for you. You have been warned.)**

* * *

Her stomach clenched, she felt the tingle as it ran through her spin and the feeling of nausea washed over to the point her gut twisted and she once again, puked.

The taste was vile, but it was nothing more than yellow bile that came out at this point. She coughed and gaged at the taste, before sealing her resolve once more and shooting a glare at the soldiers watching her.

She had taken a beating for killing three soldiers, and now the Conductor… he was pressing his experiments on her.

Her eyes shot down to the IV line attach to her arm, which was sub-sequentially chained to the ceiling, like her free arm.

What they were pumping into her was… well she had heard something about Pentothal… whatever that was. All she knew is her eye sight was all out of whack, the colors were changing, her stomach was twisting, and the air smelled foul no matter how much time passed.

It was terrible concoction for nausea, which wasn't helped by the fact that a solider was-

 _Wham!_

She trembled, her stomach clenching once again and a gasp escaping her. She clenched her teeth and sucked in a breath as pain radiated from her gut, the soldiers fist retracting from where he had punched her full force.

She had spared before, she knew some hand to hand combat, but being hit by a large, trained soldier over and over was draining… and very painful.

The pale skin of her gut was bruised, a brilliant mix of purple, black and blue, from all the punching.

Maybe she should start her own punching bag line.

 _Wham!_

Her head snapped to the side, pain lancing up her cheek into her skull as a throbbing heat pounded against her eye.

She looked back at the soldier spitting out what blood had flowed into her mouth from the cuts caused by her teeth.

"You hit like a girl." She managed, despite her back eye and swollen lip.

 _Wham!_

 _Swack!_

Two consecutive punches caused her head to snap side to side, and the light grew hazy, her mouth hanging open as she tried to stay conscious.

"Enough." The Conductor ordered, who was at the side of the room tinkering with something metallic like… it was a hook… a giant hook! It was barbed it had serrated edges and and!

She started to pull at the chain binding her arms to the ceiling and legs to the floor.

He walked over to her a the solider backed up and lifted whatever he was tinkering with up to her eyes.

It was a thin razor and a wire.

She could've sworn it was a hook….

Her hallucinations were definitely getting worse.

"Now Ms. Song," the mans voice was quiet and he grabbed her by the cheeks, forcing her face to his, "you are going to scream. You are going to beg, but I won't let anyone help you. Not until you tell me what I want to know."

He pulled the razor down and swiped it across her arm, cutting open skin on a superficial level. He did it thrice, then suddenly the wire was gone and she-

"Gah!" It was around her throat and someone was pulling it back, choking her, before her teary eyes caught sight of the conductor. He was carrying a powder… something like… salt!

He lifted the bag and sprinkled a handful of it on her open wounds.

She screamed and thrashed, her throat straining against the wire, her body gasping for air, her nerves on fire and aching from the constant abuse.

Suddenly she was able to breath and she sucked in the precious giver of life before gasping and growling as she tried not to scream from the pain.

It was so much, it was-

 _Swick!_

The blade slipped through the skin on her thigh and suddenly was covered in salt.

"Ah!" She roared, thrashing her leg back as if to avoid getting more salt on it.

"I told you." The Conductor shrugged, a dainty smile on his face. He twisted the blade in between his fingers.

The wire was once again around her throat and she was yanked back, not hard enough to choke her out, but was enough to keep her head back, despite her consistent thrashing.

Suddenly the Conductor was over her, and the blade was at her throat.

She went wide eyed and still.

He was gonna slit her throat!

She was going to bleed out here…

This is where she would die. Nate would find her body her and the legend of would end her.

Captured and tortured like a failure…

The cool metal was then at her throat, labeling lightly against her skin, then she felt it press.

She felt the pain start and she gasped, clenching her teeth as she waited for the feeling of her throat being opened and blood spewing out like a fountain.

Then the metal bit in, ripping skin and she screamed.

But there was no opening, no blood spewing forth, just a small gash on her throat, more of something like her being…. skinned.

Her eyes went wide.

He was going to skin her alive!

The conductor lifted up the small chunk of her skin and raised it to the light. The wire on her throat was released and she was allowed to look up, gasping as she breathed in and tearing up as she saw what the sociopath was doing.

This man…

God he was going to skin her apart piece by piece!

"Fascinating. Flawless. Perfect. A beautiful woman, a specimen!" The man exclaimed. He turned to her, a grin spread across his gaunt features. "Miss Song, all you need to do is sing, and this will be quick and painless! That, I promise."

Hana grit her teeth and held back her words. All she had to do was wait. If she told them she knew nothing… then that was it. She would be of no use and they'd kill her.

"So be it." The Conductor frowned and the soldier stepped forward, raising his fist before driving it in her gut.

She recoiled, grunting as pain shot through her again, then jerked to the right s another fist slammed against her face.

 _Wham!_

An uppercut dazed her, and the room stared to spin.

Suddenly a piercing pain blitzed through her lower half and she cried as the conductor slashed his blade through her thigh.

There was salt.

A fist.

The flash of metal.

Pain.

A fist.

Pain…

Metal.

Salt.

Pain.

Pain. Pain. Pain!

Drugs pumped into her.

Pain twisting her judgement.

A piece of metal slowly skinning her alive.

Her gut twisted.

She wretched again. Bile raced down.

God who were these men! What did they gain from her talking!

How long had they been doing this? How long had the tears gone dry? Was Nate even coming? Was he even trying to find her?

A fist met her cheek again. Blood leaked from the bruise.

It was taking too long…

He was taking too long…

God all she wanted was for it to stop. Or for the cold embrace of death to take her.

But all they were doing was superficial. Physically, she could heal.

Another fist.

Another slash.

More tears. From where, she couldn't tell. But they came, and she gasped and cried as they continued.

Then the wire was wrapped around her throat and water was poured on her face. Constant, beyond the point at which she could hold her breath, and she was drowning.

They stopped on the brink and she gagged and hacked and yacked up the water from her lungs, expelling the intruder as her body struggled to keep going, as adrenaline failed, and only pain and fear took place of hope.

The man raised the razor again, this time to her throat.

Her eyes went wide.

And finally…

Hana Song broke.

"I'll talk!" She pleaded, the pain from all over her, from the salt piercing her wounds to her aching muscles and bruises, and fractured bones. "Please… I'll talk."

Then the guilt hit her.

She gave in.

She gave up on Nate.

Then again… he wasn't here was he. She hoped he would come. That he actually cared, and it wasn't all just talk… But she was wrong.

He had been all talk.

"Then Miss Song, vhat beautiful melody vould you like for me to 'ere?" The Conductor stepped back.

She trembled and bit her lip. Her resolve had faded. What was she doing giving in? How could she-

A pain pierced her side and she screamed as another soldier literally jammed a hook through her skin.

When he had gotten there she wasn't sure.

"Okay, okay okay! Please stop!" She cried, her resolve steeled. She had to tell. The pain was… it was far too much.

Who could stay quiet after all this…

After days of this…

"Tell me the-"

"There is no code!" She yelled, tears streaming down her face. "Please just stop!"

"No code?" The man raised an eyebrow. "But I-"

"Only the general knows it! I never knew it, just…" She sucked in a wet breath and sobbed, "just please stop."

The man frowned. "As expected." He turned away from her and put down his instruments, to her relief.

"Lock her up till I 'ave this… news, settled." He sneered at her and left the room.

The two soldiers let her down, not gently mind you, and yanked her over to the cell, opening it once more and throwing her in like a rag.

She shoulder hit the ground, but the pain was minimal compared to what she was already feeling.

The cold embrace of the concrete was welcome, and sucked her pain away.

Well… it sucked part of it away.

She winced as instinctively she curled up into a ball. She gasped, and the tears kept flowing. Her arms wrapped around her legs and she pulled herself closer.

The pain never left.

The fear, never left.

And her friend, never came.

She cried.

* * *

 **(WARNING: Graphic content OVER. Maybe it wasn't too graphic, but hey, still wanted to have a warning incase anyone is squeamish, ya know?)**

* * *

I looked out of the cockpit and down to the mountains below us.

Dig had made it pretty clear with his maps and waypoints. The bastards were below the mountain, far below it, hidden beneath thousands of tons of rock and stone, hiding right underneath one of the supposedly most powerful nations in the world.

Guess their intelligence community sucks.

It took us like… a day, to find this place.

Then again we did have Dig, and the little dude was far more advanced than anything they had on this planet.

But even Dig couldn't scan accurately enough to see if Hana was down there still.

So we had to go down, we had to find her ourselves, or at least get deep enough for Dig to hack into their system and find her.

"Take us down." I stated, pulling my rifle off my back and resting it lightly in my arms as I walked back into the main room where Tracer and Lucio were still at.

Tracer was messing with her guns, something about increasing the rate of fire, and Lucio was trying his best to heft up Gjallarhorn despite his injuries. Dude was almost as dedicated as I was to finding Hana.

It probably helped that Dig and I used the hours we had to repair his equipment, hence why he already seemed so ready to get back at it. Dude really felt guilty that Hana got nabbed on his watch.

I mean shit, I felt bad about it too. Imagine how he felt?

My thoughts wandered to Hana.

You know, I had made her a promise. I promised to help and protect her. Right now I was doing a pretty shit job at it. I mean, I'd known her for a little over two weeks now, and half of that time she probably spent either unconscious, kidnapped, helping fix me up, fixing herself up, or…. well fuck.

Like come on! She'd been unconscious for three days after I stabbed her, she'd been kidnapped for….. for….

How long had she been gone for?

I blinked and tried to remember.

It'd been… shit, what, like ten, eleven hours now? Maybe half a day. Maybe a day?!

Fuck if I know! Maybe it's been-

"It's been almost twenty hours since we've seen her." Dig informed me as my helmet appeared over my head and my comms powered up.

"So almost a day." I replied. Almost a day of probably being tortured for information. I'd never been tortured, and the idea of someone being tortured for twenty hours straight...

It sounded very unpleasant.

"Almost." Dig replied.

I frowned and stretched out my arms. I had a feeling I was going to need them nice and warmed up.

"Ready?" I asked, sparing a glance over to the Brit.

"Let's do this." She nodded, standing up and twirling her weapons once.

"I'm ready man." Lucio replied.

My frown got longer, "dude I really don't think you should be going anywhere. You're still pretty banged up."

"I'm fine man."

I didn't feel completely reassured. We had repaired and upgraded his equipment enough that it would provided at least some protection, so at least one bullet wouldn't down him. Hopefully he didn't slow us down…

"You sure man?" I again asked. "Like, this is going to be a shit storm, and being slow, being hurt, isn't going to help."

He glared at me, obviously taking a slight offense to my implication that he would be a hinderance.

A few moments of a tense stand off passed, but the man deflated and closed his eyes.

"Fine, but if you need any backup, you get me down there." He demanded, crossing his arms with a frown.

I nodded and looked at Tracer, who in turn blinked over to me.

"You good?"

She nodded in response.

White light washed over us and the next thing we saw were massive trees all around, a small cabin sitting in the middle of a clearing as the sky was blocked by grey clouds and a chilly wind whipped by us.

"Come on." I stated, raising my rifle and sweeping the immediate area in front of us. Nothing was caught on my motion sensor, but it wasn't a perfect tool obviously.

When Dig had scanned the area we had garnered the locations of a least two dozens guards out on patrol and the cabin with its inhabitants. Fortunately we were able to teleport right next to the cabin, and by extension bypass all the patrols.

Our steps were quick and light, crunching the dead leaves and sparse grass beneath our feet. We made it to the cabin, where did had managed to track another giant elevator too, and we each got on a side of the door, readying ourselves to breach.

Dig's scan had revealed a few people inside the cabin and we had all assumed it was a group of guards, no matter how they were dressed or talked.

Tracer hadn't been exactly fond of the idea of killing first, asking questions later, but…

I looked at her and she sighed before giving me a small nod.

My hands tightened their hold on my rifle.

Then I spun and slammed my heel into the door, breaking it wide open.

She was in before me, blinking last the wall and driving her heels straight into the chest of a man sitting in a chair. I was only a split second slower, aiming my rifle right where I knew a guard would be sitting thanks to the scan Dig had provided. My aim was true and a man, dressed in overalls and a red cap, went wide eyed before a bullet tore through his throat.

Even before the red splashed on the wall behind him my sights turned to the third guard who was raising a rifle of his own.

My shot was first and ended him just as quickly.

A flash of blue and another grunt assured me that Tracer had taken down the fourth guard, and after a quick final sweep which assured me those were the only guards, Dig appeared in a flash of light.

"All right give me a sec." He stated, twirling higher and sending one flash of light around the cabins interior, scanning for a control panel for the elevator.

He stopped as his light washed over the fire place, and he zoomed towards it. "Got it."

His light shined on the wall and I gently broke it open, revealing the panel so my ghost could hack it.

I glanced back at the two men Tracer had taken down and raised my rifle.

I should kill them.

Thing would be far easier, far less dangerous with them dead.

"Got it." Dig announced and with a hiss the walls next to the panel slide open, revealing an elevator large enough for at least six people.

My rifle hovered for a moment over the bodies and brown eyes looked at me, disapproval radiating off them.

"You don't have to." She stated and I shook my head.

"Fine." I turned and walked into the elevator, Tracer following me with a blink, and then the doors slid close as Dig disappeared.

With a jerk, the elevator started our descent.

Digs voice then entered my ear, "Nate, I'm getting comm's traffic from below. Securities scrambling to find out why the back entrance is being used."

"Back entrance?"

"Yeah. I moved the ship a few miles east, and did another scan. Apparently theres another entrance off the side of a mountain, much more heavily guarded though."

"Guess it's good we only found this one then." I twisted my neck.

"Oh yeah. If it wasn't for the fact-"

 _Beep!_

The elevator suddenly stopped, and red light filled the compartment.

"So those guards woke up…" Dig stated and I rolled my eyes. "And they killed the elevator. Also they set off a alarm so every guard knows you two are here now."

"Well, shit." I glanced at Tracer. "I told you we should've killed those guards."

Normally I'd be more inclined to give her more shit about it, but right now really wasn't the time.

"Can you get it started again?" I asked.

"Hold on." Dig appeared and starting flashing his light on the elevator.

A few seconds later the regular lighting returned and our descent continued.

"So if I were you two I would probably hide on the sides of this thing. You've got about twenty guards waiting for you on the main floor." Then my Ghost disappeared.

I slipped over to the side of the elevator, out of sight of the doors and Tracer did the same.

"Any other advice?"

"Well, I can't get any deeper scan's, but, from the video feed I hacked, I haven't seen Hana anywhere in the base. Just some stock evil scientists, guards, and a few other personal that I have yet to identify."

I frowned. "Find Hana, and let us know as soon as you do."

"Probably gonna need more direct access to their network, oh captain my captain!"

Ass hat.

Then, again with a jerk, the elevator started to slow.

"Ready?"

"Always, love."

The elevator stopped and the doors slid open.

 _Rat ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-at!_

 _Bang! Bang! Bang!_

 _Cak ka-ka-ka!_

I instinctively flinched as bullets riddled riddled the elevator compartment, ripping the back wall apart as the guards continuously fired upon us, hoping to take us down.

They obviously weren't stupid, hence their immediate attack and overwhelming numbers, but I had plenty of things they didn't know about.

A grenade appeared in my hand, and purple darkness of void surrounded my fist. I wanted for a lull in the gunfire, which was more of just less bullets being fired that a complete stop, and I quickly tossed the grande through the doors and into he mass of guards gathered.

"Grenade!"

"Down!"

Two different voices were shooting orders, but anything else was drowned out as my device detonated and a blinding poison filled the air.

I twirled around, rifle raised and looked on as at least half the guards were stumbling about, coughing, gagging, and trying their best to wipe away the poison currently binding them.

However that meant the other half was recovering from the initial shock, and was still capable of fighting despite the scare.

I didn't wait any longer and put my sights on the first guard I could tell was unaffected.

Two quick shots dropped him and like clock work I took down two more in the span of a few seconds. My advantage was shot lived and gunfire opened up on my position, automatic rifles peppering my shields with bullets.

I rolled out of the way and behind a concrete column, firing back at those who had retaliated.

I heard sub machine fire enter the fray and knew Tracer had joined me in the fight. Where she had teleported to I had no idea.

My eyes took in the area, a large room with nothing more than several large concrete columns, a few stairways leading up into the various hallways on the second floor, one of which was about twenty feet to my left, and dozens of lockers spread about.

With the layout memorized I dove out of cover and spun to a quick couch firing at three more guards who had their backs to me and were firing on a column on the other side of the room.

 _Bang!_

One down.

 _Bang!_

Two down.

 _Rat-ta-ta-ta!_

My shields flared again and I turned my sights tot eh guards shooting me, taking one out with a shot to his neck and another to his head.

I blinked backwards, behind the nearest stairway and hurdled another grenade over my cover.

A flash of white echoed out with a pop and I took the offensive again. Bright white trackers zoomed from where my grenade had vaporized one unlucky guard, and search for more unlucky targets. Tow guards were still opening fire on Tracer's position and a third turned they attention to me.

A quick jab of my trigger ended his life and I shot down the two other as my trackers hit their respective targets and took out at six other guards, holes blown into their chests by the overwhelming power of Arc.

I looked around and the last three guards were already dead with bullets holes riddling their bodies like they had been pin cushions.

I frowned at the blood and the scorch marks.

It wasn't often I used my powers against humans, and the results were always… bloody. At least with my grenades they tended to be.

"Dig, anything?" I asked, pushing down my discomfit as I turned my weapon up to the stairways, waiting for more guards to charge us.

"Uh… no, but I found a control center. Its on one of the lower levels, full access to computers and the like, plus I found Last Word there. Some Guard has it. I'll get you a waypoint."

I nodded and felt Tracer's presence behind me.

"Does Dig know where she's at?" The brit asked form behind me.

I shook my head as I started up the stair well in front of me. "No, but he found a control center, and my gun."

"Your gun?"

"The one I gave her."

* * *

 **(WARNING: possible trigger with idea of sexual assault. Clarification: Simply an idea, not an actual action.)**

* * *

It wasn't the yelling,or the scrambling footsteps of the soldiers that caught her ear. It wasn't even the blaring alarm of the red lighting that caught Hana Songs attention.

It wasn't the fact that her cell opening, and two soldiers grabbed her and dragged her out of it and into the room of nightmares.

She shivered as the thoughts of pain returned.

No it was the words of one guard that caught her ear.

"What the fuck did you guys do to her?"

She blinked. What did that even mean? This guard… she glanced up. The one on her right was looking down at her, but his face was hidden behind a visor.

"What she deserved." The deeper voice of the second guard replied.

Their was hesitation then the first guard started, "but-"

"Vhat're you doing!" The voice of the conductor suddenly bounced off the walls and she cringed, keeping her eyes low. "I said to dispose of her quickly and cleanly! No evidence of her existence! We need every available guard at section 6! Move!"

Then the light footsteps of the man faded away as he left the room and she blinked.

Oh no…

Dispose of her?

Her eyes went wide. She was going to die.

One of the guards yanked her to her feet and the other roughly grabbed her arm and pulled her forward.

She stumbled and her legs gave out after only a few steps.

It's what happens for not eating in like twenty four hours and being tortured for hours on end. You lose a lot of strength.

"Fuck." One of the guards, the first one, grunted.

"Get up fucking brat." The second growled, kicking her in the gut.

She coughed in response, jerking backwards away form him. Her teeth clenched as the pain was only amplified by her bruises.

"Stop." The first guard snapped. He wrapped his hand around her waist and hefted her up, carrying her like a sack of laundry over his shoulder. "Come on, Jenkins. Hydraulic acids on the?"

"Eighth level. Section ten." The other guard replied.

The Guard carrying her failed to respond and hauled her out of the room.

It was the first time seeing the outer parts of her prison and she wasn't impressed. It was concrete, bright lights, various doors spread about, concrete columns every once in a while, and scientists dressed in white lab coats running about like their heads had been chopped off.

They came to a stop and she looked over the guards shoulder as he slipped what looked like a keycard through a scanner.

There was a beep and the sound of bolt unlocking cried out, and the guard moved forward, pushing the door next to the scanner open and starting down a flight of stairs.

Each step bounced her up, her gut aching and her muscles already begging for relief. Each step, her heart started to pound faster, the age old instinct of survival rearing its head in the back of her mind.

Once they were down two flights the guard turned and re-entered the base, the adrenaline started to race through her veins.

She felt the fear now, and her eyes grew wide as a set of wide gray doors stay at the end of their current hallway, and if she was to judge where they were going, that was the place.

That room, was where she would die.

So she did what any person would do only a dozen feet from their death.

She fought back.

With a violent thrash she kicked outward, and swung her head in an arc as if to headbutt the guard. Her arms shot out at the side arm the guard had holstered, and the abrupt change in her persona caught both of them men off guard.

Unfortunately she had no plan, and was acting purely out of instinct. Her kick freed her lower body, but the second guard grabbed her by her arms and lifted her up, effectively canceling out any surprise her 'attack' had had on the first guard.

But she wasn't finished, and drove her knee upward, right into he second guards groin.

A squeak echoed out and the man instantly released her, and she let a grin sketch itself across her face.

Hands grabbed her arms from behind, but her smaller figure allowed her to slip out of the grasp before it was firm, and she clumsily dove forward, knocking the second guard down with her momentum.

She stumbled up, turning to face the first guard who was lunging for her.

It was flight or fight.

She drove her fist at his chest.

He caught her punch.

"No!" She yelled, trying to pull away but was only pulled forward.

"Just," the man grunted before her punched her in the gut, hard enough to knock the wind out of her, "stop! You're only making this harder than it needs to be!" He lifted her again, tossing her over his shoulder once more before starting towards the door.

She heard the second soldier stand and growl, "I'm gonna kill the bitch."

Once her lungs were once again filled with air, she tried again to thrash her way out of the mans hold.

But he was prepared and only tightened his grip, keeping her locked against his shoulder.

The set of doors slid open and she stopped to looked at her execution room.

It wasn't anything special. It was dimly lit, crates scattered about, pieces of paper lying sporadically across the concrete floor, and the heater and cooler system sitting at the back of the room, surrounded by more crates.

The guard dropped her onto her feet and pushed her back. Her balance was gone and she fell back against a pile of wooden crates, resting her head and back against them.

The man drew his side arm and cocked back the hammer.

Hana started to hyperventilate. There was no where to go now. She didn't have the strength to try and run. She was tired.

But she didn't want to die!

The tears started to form.

She didn't want to die…

Her life started to flash.

She remembered Christmas with her family, opening up her presents as her mother made her family hot chocolate.

The sights of international Star Craft competition, the feeling of victory as she finally won the title of best in the world.

Her first kiss, in the rain because her date, Wey' Tushi, had forgotten to bring na umbrella or coat.

The first time she fought in her mech against the Omnic monster, and the rush of defeating it in a one on one fight that garnered her the position of squad leader.

Of the heart to heart talk she had with Nate, and the pain she saw and felt as he spoke about himself, remembering how she could relate to his loss.

Laughing with Claire as they stayed up late in the bass, talking about nothing more then who was the best Avenger.

She felt a single tear roll.

Maybe she had given in and given up the only information, or lack of, that was keeping her alive.

Maybe the pain had been too much.

But she wouldn't beg to be spared.

Like always, Hana Song would stare death in the face.

She would go out defying death.

Till the very last breath.

With a heavy sigh the guard aimed his weapon at her and mumbled, "think of something happy. Of the best memory you have."

Her breath started to slow and she eyed the man carefully.

"Just… anything happy, and close your eyes. It'll be quick." The man was short of breath, but she didn't give him the time of day.

She stared him in the face.

She would never give death anything.

She would defy him till the end.

"Put the fucking pistol down." The second guard suddenly stated, pushing the first guard aside and walking right up to her.

She instinctively backed up further against the crates, but the man grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up.

"This bitch killed my best friend."

She wondered which gaur that had been. She had killed three.

"She should pay for that, in every way."

The tone of his voice…

The glint she could _feel_ in his eyes as his head looked her up and down.

Oh god.

She was suddenly tossed onto the crate and the man pinned her by the throat, and grabbed the remnants of her shirt before ripping it off and leaving her in her bra and shorts.

Her eyes went wide and she immediately fought back, clawing at her throat and face, trying to pierce his visor and gouge his eyes out.

The tear started to roll.

This was worse than death!

Oh god!

Suddenly the man was grabbed and yanked off of her, and she gasped for breath, having not realized she was being choked.

"Dude what the fuck?" The first guard, the one who had been ready to take her life, stood in front of her, his back to her.

"What?" The second man grunted as he back to his feet after being thrown. "I told you, the bitch killed Eric. I'm getting my fair share of payback."

She saw the first man clench his fists.

"I get that, but you aren't going to fucking rape her! We didn't sign up for anything like that!" The man yelled, emphasizing his words by throwing his arms up.

"Say what you want." The second man growled, standing tall and stretching his neck. "After Linda died…. I'm not letting any spoiled fucking brat like this bitch get away with whatever she wants. I'll make them pay. In whatever way I want."

There was silence and Hana bit back a groan, a shooting pain in her gut suddenly hitting her. She pushed herself further back on the crates, to get as far from the two as possible.

"You're not gonna touch her man." The first guard stated, his voice low and dangerous.

The Second man straightened his back and cracked his knuckles.

"And who's gonna stop me? You?"

"If I have to."

* * *

I drove the side of my hand into the neck of a guard, his windpipe tearing from the force of my blow, and I twirled around before sweeping his legs out from under him and shooting him twice in the chest.

A quick sigh left my throat and I flexed my wrist as he dropped in a heap.

The hall was lined with seven bodies, all of which were guards that I had dropped with my gun or bare hands.

"Gah!"

 _Crack!_

I glanced back and watched as Tracer leapt off a guard and the man tumbled to the ground lifeless.

She wiped a drop of sweat from her brow and gave me a frown. She was still against the killing, but she was just as willing as I was now, probably because of the whole idea of self defense and we'd die if we didn't kill them first.

Survival's one hell of an instinct…

See guards had been charging us and trying to stop us at almost every choke point. Unfortunately not a single group was as large as the first and with only hallways as their choke points and my shields and Tracer's speed…

Well the assholes didn't stand much of a chance.

"Dig?"

"Control centers down the next hallway to the right."

Dig still needed to find a computer to hack into since their network was local, so we needed the Control room of this place. Not to mention it would be easier for him to locate Hana from the heart of this place.

I nodded and jogged down the rest of this hall, then turned right at the next intersection. Two guards raised their rifles and instantly fired on me the moment I was around the corner.

With a flash of void power I rolled forward and under the trajectory of their shots, while blue lines raced across the roof as Tracer used her abilities to leap above and over the bullets and right to their source.

She landed her feet on their chests, knocking both back as she fired her weapons at point blank at them, tearing through their body armor and ending them before they even hit the ground.

I followed through and rolled to my feet as their bodies landed, stepping over them as I continued the jog to the Control Center; which was separated from the hall by two large metal doors, each of which was easily ten feet wide and just as tall.

Raze Lighter appeared on my back and I swept it into my right hand and burst forward with the power of Sol, slamming into the metal doors and melting right through the steel like it was butter.

Instantly my motion sensor went off, twelve different red dots appearing and I was forced to raise my swords shield as gun fired greeted me.

The shield stared to drain as a heavy bullet… Last Word I realized, slammed into my shield, and I grit my teeth as heavily armored guard moved in front of his companions and continuously unleashed his ammo onto me.

Once more Tracer blinked past me, just like she had at the base in Mexico, and engaged the hostiles at close range.

In that moment I gauged our enemies. Only five were shooting at us, one of which was the heavily armored guard using my gun, the others were all dressed in coats, white or gray, that had seemed to be working on the computers but were now cowering and fleeing for their lives through another set of doors on the other side of the room.

Tracer alone took down one with her surprise, but in the close quarters, and with such superior positing, and me being forced on the defensive, she was forced to take cover, as three guards turned their fire to her.

The bullets coming at me greatly decreased, so I dropped the shield and lunged forward at the heavy guard, effectively cutting off the support from his allies since they couldn't fire on me without hitting him.

I twisted around, before pushing forward and rammed my shoulder into his chest and forcing him to drop my gun.

He stumbled back with a grunt and I continued on with my momentum, sipping my sword into his side and disintegrating him in one fell swoop.

The two guards still focused on me opened fire once more.

I blocked their shots and blinked forward as Digs voice filled my ear, "Nate?"

I drove my sword through once and locked the shots of another, who was then taken down courtesy of Tracer.

"It's clear."

A bright flash and my ghost appeared again, this time moving to the computers and breaking into them as I grabbed Last Word off the floor.

Never knew I'd miss this thing.

Huh. Go figure.

I watched the door we had come through and I assumed Tracer had her eyes on the other one.

"All right, one second…"

I waited with a frown as he searched their systems for Hana.

"I found her!"

"Where?"

"Five minutes ago she was in a hallway only one level down." He informed me, and I instantly started towards the door, "But… Nate, there something else!"

I stopped, "what?"

A picture appeared on my visor, and Tracers voice then asked, "what is it?"

I went wide eyed as I took in the sight.

Hundreds… Hundreds of impostors, several of which looked like Hana stood on the video I was looking at. Hundreds…. "are those?"

"Impostors like the one you fought? Yes. From what I'm getting there's over a thousand, and a dozen that look like Hana. They're only five levels down in the largest hangar here all waiting I guess to be deployed somewhere." Dig replied, louder this time so Tracer could also here him.

"What would they do with all those… things?" She asked from across the room.

"Who knows… almost anything." I replied narrowing my gaze. "Can you hack them?"

"Not unless I'm close. It seems like they're on closed networks. Nothing I can do about that." Dig sighed.

"What do we do?" Tracer pipped up.

I shook my head. "No idea, but," I turned and started towards the exit, "we're getting Hana and getting out of here. They're already on high alert and no way we can fight that many. Hell we could barley handle one!"

"We don't have to fight them all!" Dig yelled, as if he just realized something, "the base has a power source, a fusion reactor! If we overload it we can blow this entire place up! No more impostors!"

Before I could've even think of a reply the Brit replied, "I'll do it love."

I glanced back at Tracer and stopped right before the doors.

She smiled and gave me a nod. "Find Hana. I'll take care of the reactor."

I nodded. "Dig, help her find the reactor and get back to the ship. Be ready to transmat us out once I find Hana."

"Got it."

And with that I sprinted forward through the hall, a waypoint appearing on my visor as I headed to Hana's last known location.

Almost there Hana…

Almost…

* * *

Hana yelped as the men fought, hiding behind a crate as her leg bent awkwardly from being broken by the second guard.

"Gah!" The first guard, her protector, yelled as he flew back and hit a wall. The second charged him but was met with a kick to the gut, then was charged himself and the two reengaged in closer quarters boxing match.

She had tried to help, to intervene… but she was drained and the second guard had snapped her leg with three extremely well placed kicks. She was now down to crawling away from the fight, hoping beyond hope that her protector would win the tussle.

If he didn't…

Who knew what would happen to her.

She watched as the first guard slammed his fist into the second chest and followed up with a kick to the side, driving his heel far into the other mans ribs.

The man then uppercut the second.

The Second man stumbled back.

She felt hopeful.

Then the Second man puled his side arm.

Bang! A bullet tore through the second mans leg and he screamed.

She trembled and backed up, her eyes shooting all around the room, looking for any way she could escape, any way she could protect herself.

"Fuck!" Her protector yelled then he fell back, clutching his leg. "Fuck!"

"Told you to stay out of my way." The second man growled, and he kicked her protected down into a crate and stared over to her without breaking a beat.

She went wide eyed and tried to scrambled back.

The man grabbed her leg and pulled her forward.

She screamed.

* * *

Tracer blinked forward, bouncing off walls, and filling another guard with bullets. She flipped mid air and spun, kicking the second guard that had tried to stop her in the head and rendering him unconscious.

She didn't stop and continued forward, blinking past another pair of guards who were left confused as to where she had gone.

Dig had said the reactor was only a few levels down, but towards the back of the base, which is where she was headed.

She would set the reactor off, but…

She really hoped Nate found Hana.

That's what they were here for. For her.

But she knew they needed to stop Talon.

Whatever the cost.

* * *

Hana screamed as the guard pulled her to him, punching at him and clawing at his clothes as if to tear him limb from limb.

The guard lifted her and threw her onto a pair of crates.

"Get off!" She yelled, trying once more to knee him in the groin.

He effectively blocked her attack and snarled, "shut up!"

And his palm met her cheek with a crack.

She gasped and her vision was dazed long enough that the man managed to turn her around without any retaliation.

She went wide eyed.

This was it.

She felt the tears again.

Good God why…

Why was this happening to her?

She gave once last thrash of her legs, but the man was completely unaffected by her. She cried, "no!"

 _Crack!_

The man stilled and she froze.

Drops of a warm, thick liquid landed on her back and she shivered before looking back.

A blade, a knife, stuck out from the man's helmet, blood dipping from the tip of the knife that had broke out the front of his face plate.

The blade slid out from the back, a pop ringing out as his skull cracked again and then someone pushed the dead guard over.

"Hey, Hana."

She smiled as the sight of armor and a cape field her vision.

"Sorry I took so long."

* * *

 **A/N**

 **So I will say, this chapter was actually really hard to write, (sorry it took so long, this past month has been hell) like its long and really uncomfortable.**

 **To be real, this is probably the darkest I'll ever go, I can't actually describe or write too detailed torture or 'assault' scenes (I'm not Game of Thrones and George R.R. Martin), and it was hard to write it, but these scenes are legit needed to progress the story.**

 **In case anyone hasn't noticed yet, the main protagonists right now are Nate and Hana, and the things that happen are for each of them to grow, or fall. Hana wasn't as much of a badass here cuase of well, you know, torture and shit.**

 **So yeah… I won't go much darker, if at all, and if I ever have these kind of scenes again there'll always be warning in case anyones super uncomfortable or legit triggered but such scenes.**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading guys! You guys are the reason I keep writing this and hey I appreciate your positive criticism and reviews!**

 **Again I'd like to remind everyone that everything that happens is connected to something else in the future, whether it be character development, a plot point, etc…**

 **Also, the Guest who said there was an obsession with D'Va, I don't know what you mean? Because she's a protagonist? Because Dig's a shit head and make fun of Nate, which is explained to keep him light hearted?**

 **Oh well. Can't please every one I guess.**

 **Thanks for reading, and if you have any questions, feel free to PM me and I'll answer to the best of my ability.**

 **God bless and Happy thanksgiving!**

 **-Metal4k**


	11. Chapter 11

**The Darkest Knight**

 **Part I: The Reforming of Overwatch.**

 **Chapter 11: Chain Reactions and Volskaya.**

* * *

I took in the sight before me. The sight of a woman, beaten and battered, weakened and nearly defiled by the very species I had sworn to protect.

I was no stranger to the dark, crooked ways of man. Even in the Last City, there had been evil men. Men who would rather drink upon the suffering and pain of his fellow man than fight the darkness that threatens us all.

But even experience does little to calm unaided rage.

Pure, cold, Rage.

And in response, my power fluctuated, Arc swirling around me as rage took hold.

"Who did this?" I asked, my voice growing fouler by the second.

Hana only smiled and the smile broke as tears took hold of her one perfect face before she covered her face in her hands.

Something people confuse is that they think rage is this, potent, evil thing, and that only evil deeds can come from it.

But in this moment, rage fueled something else.

Empathy.

And I scooped Hana up in my arms, her head resting against my shoulder and I looked over her leg, which I could tell was freshly broken.

Damn whoever did this.

I turned, still holding her in one hand as my other drew Last Word and aimed it at the guard who was downed and struggling to stand with a bullet hole in his leg.

"Who?" I asked, rage cutting off whatever care for grammar and proper speaking I had.

The man grunted and his mask covered his face from my eyes.

I aimed my weapon at his good leg.

"Don't, Nate."

My eyes turned to the girl in my arms. Her eyes, stained with red strain and tears, met mine even through my visor. "He helped me. It was that man… the Conductor… he did this." She shivered.

I looked back at the guard and tightened my grip on my weapon.

Mercy wasn't something you were taught as a Guardian. The Fallen, the Hive, everything would kill you without it, so you had to do the same. Only one time had I seen mercy in such a situation.

Once, when Kathy spared a mans life, even though he had killed innocents, he had begged for mercy, begged because he had a daughter who had been sick and he needed the money for meds. If she followed our rules, the rules of Salidan, Shaxx, and even Cayde,  
the rules they lived and died by, then she would've driven a bullet through his heart and been done with it.

But she didn't then. She understood why he did the things he did.

Now I was faced with a choice.

Mercy, or death.

I grit my teeth and lowered my gun.

"If I ever find you with these guys again, or near Hana," I gestured with my head to his dead friend, "I'll make his death seem like mercy."

The man didn't reply, but I saw his arms tense, fearful of my wrath and what he knew I wanted to do.

I spun away and with Hana in my arms backed out through the doors and started a jog through the long, gray halls. Her hands wrapped around my neck, her head resting against me, eyes closing from sheer exhaustion.

I swallowed hard and opened up the Com channel.

"Tracer, what's your status on rigging that fusion core to blow?"

I walked forward and kicked the doors of the room open, striding out with purpose as Hana rested in my arms.

My feet picked up a jog and I kept a close eye on my sensor as Dig responded in her stead, "firstly its a fusion reactor, not a core. Secondly, I have the surveillance systems under tap but they're jamming her comms. We're linked by light so no affect  
to us, and-"

 _Bang!_

I lunged back around the corner I had just turned, pulling Hana to me and twisting so she was covered from the bullets flying from down the hall we needed to go down.

She screamed as the sound echoed off the walls and her hands flew to her ears, naturally flinching from the sound.

I glanced around.

Satirs!

I burst towards the stairs halfway between me and the room I rescued Hana in, my motion tracker blinking furiously as enemies approached us from behind.

"Nate, four of those impostor machines are on the move. If I'm correct there're the only ones powered up, which is good considering how many they have, but its bad since, if I calculated their trajectory right, three are coming for you and one's headed  
for Tracer." Dig informed me, his voice edging on worry.

I didn't respond as I took the stairs up two at a time.

"Get out on this floor! You've got guards coming from above!"

 _Bang!_

I flinched as a bullet bounced off my shoulder into the wall, and jumped at the nearest door, kicking it open before storming in.

"Dig, where's the nearest safe zone so you can transmit Hana out of here?"

"One moment."

I grit my teeth and backed up against the wall, one hand holding the Last Word up and pointed at the door I had come from.

A flash of black and red passed the small window and I fired on instinct. The bullet tore through the flimsy metal and I heard a thunk and yell, which was my cue to sprint down the hall and down the nearest corner.

"All right go left!" My ghost yelled.

I followed his direction and sprinted down the next hall.

"Right, then take the next set of stairs up two floors!"

Again I listened and slammed the door open with my shoulder before taking to the stairs. I glanced down at Hana and noticed she wasn't moving. My heart rate shot up by dozens of BPM's.

Not again!

This couldn't-

"She's just unconscious! This floor!"

My head warped back into reality and I entered the next floor, greeted this time by a moderately sized lobby with an abandoned desks, a fountain and even a few potted plants.

What kind of evil base was this?

"You've got twenty seconds." Dig informed me and I ran behind the desk and laid Hana down.

My ghost appeared not a moment later and stated, "all right transmatting in five."

I huffed and leaned back against the desk..

"Shit. Nate, you need to find Tracer. Some one else is in the system, and they'e good."

"How good?"

"Well, they're not a real threat, more of an annoyance. They manually shut off the surveillance systems on the floor for the fusion reactor and I can't see Tracer. If we want her to get out of here alive you need to find her and hold out so I can transmit  
you both back to the ship."

I nodded. "Just get Hana onboard."

His light started to wash over Hana and I backed out from behind the desk aiming my weapon at the door, my motion tracker warning me now of approaching hostiles.

"Get her on the ship and get her wounds treated with whatever gel we have left. I'll get to Tracer and then you can transmat us both out."

The door opened and two clean shots ended the first two guards.

A flash of white glowed on the walls and I knew Hana was safe.

Bullets flew through the open door and I ducked under them, hurling another grenade at the opening and grinning darkly when the flash of orange was accompanied by ash and yells.

Suddenly five guards charged into the room, immediately opening fire and I blinked backwards behind the desk, drawing another grenade.

I tossed the grenade into the air, where it detonated and filled the air with poisonous gas before I leapt over the wooden cover I had and took three shots. Each hit the necks of their targets and the flash of blood was enough to for me to ensure they  
were dead.

The other two crumbled under the weight of the poison.

I started to the door.

"Which way?"

* * *

Lena grunted as she kicked the guard in the chest, blinking behind him and unloading her entire clip into his backside. It was quick, efficient, and the guard was dead before they hit the ground.

She sighed and glanced around the room, four other bodies lying lifeless in their own pools of blood. Her stomach twisted and she ignored the gag in her throat as she looked up to the giant reactor behind her.

It was swirling green, contained inside several layers of machinery, glass, and metal. It looked similar to the drive that had powered the jet she had flown several years ago… the one that ended up with her traveling through time.

But this was much larger, and she blinked over to the nearest control panel careful to keep an eye on the doors.

She wasn't nearly as good as Winston when it came to pure tech, but she knew she had to destroy this thing. Powering it down would only delay the inevitable, and if she set this thing to blow she could take out the entire base and all the Talon agents  
and project located inside.

Considering how large this base was, they were bound to have important assets here, and taking them out would deal a massive blow to Talon's operations.

But Hana and Nate we're in the building… and then Emily….

What could she do?

What _should_ she do?

Something, something suddenly went off in her heart.

And her sixth instinct suddenly went off and Tracer blinked forward towards the Reactor, turning as she did.

she landed on her feet and watch as…

Her eyes went wide and she froze.

As… well…. as _she,_ stood with a sword arm raised and posted to have struck right where her heart had just been.

The… other, Tracer, stared at her with cold unmoving eyes behind the same orange goggles she had.

It looked like Hana wasn't the only one who had a clone.

She grit her teeth as her clone took a step back and shut the doors, but not before she caught a glimpse of the guards outside with their weapons aimed at the room.

Not only was she trapped but now she had to figure out how to deal with this… impostor and blow up the reactor.

She aimed her guns at the machine and put her left foot behind her.

She blinked forward.

* * *

"You know what my question is Dig?" I said as I drove my heel into the throat of the last guardof a group of four who had ran into me whiletrying to head down, and I assume, take out Tracer at the reactor.

The fourthguard, the last one standing fired at me, and his shots bounced off my shields. I drew my blade and with abuts of Sol, sent t flying at his heart. He tried to move last moment but it still caught the left side of his heart and the power  
of fire ripped through him, sending him flying back and to the ground.

I kept my weapon up and jogged past the dead fourth guard, pulling my knife from his corpse, and headed straight for the elevator at the end of the hall.

"What would Talon need all this shit for? Why take Hana?"

I could feel my Ghost shrug in my head. "Hell if I know, but Tracer's on the level below, opposite side of the "

I grit my teeth and slowed to a stop before the steel doors of the elevator, swinging my rifle onto my back. I jammed my fingers in between the doors and pried the steel doors open, putting my arms out and pushing them open.

"How's Hana?" I grunted as the doors clunked to a halt as they reached their maximum retraction.

I rolled my neck and stepped into the darkness, simultaneously drawing my knife as I fell into the elevator shaft.

"She's fine, Lucio's bandaging her up and her vitals are all stable."

Air rustled by me and my cape fluttered up, before I slammed my knife into the next set of doors with a perfectly timed blink strike. I grunted as I pulled myself up, looking up and down real quick to ensure no elevator was coming towards me.

"How bad do you think the torture was?"

There wasn't so I pulled my leg up, placing it so I was able to anchor myself as I pushed the steel doors open. It took a bit but once the doors were open I climbed into the hallway and reoriented my rifle against my shoulder.

"Bad. If it wasn't for our Gel, she'd definitely have scars for the rest of her life. But…. I doubt her mental states going to be any good. She's going to have a lot of problems."

I sighed, readjusting my rifle so my line of sight was absolutely perfect.

"I can only imagine. See if you can find any sort of counseling for this thing. She's probably gonna need more help than we can provide."

"Yeah. Poor girl. Getting caught up in all this shit. Take a right."

I chuckled darkly as I turned a corner, my footsteps silently gliding over the metal floor. "She sounds like a guardian. Pulled from peace to just get shit on."

"Oh don't be such a bitch."

I laughed. "Yeah Yeah."

In my second year of being a guardian I had these thoughts often. I hated being the Travelers lackey, of being chosen without my consent to fight this never ending war. There were some Guardians that just up and quit. But, at the end of the day I didn't.  
It took me a few months but I finally understood why I was chosen.

The Traveler had seen something in me, something good that made me worthy of fighting the darkness and saving what was left of my people.

But Hana… she didn't suffer for something like that. She suffered because of evil men that wanted nothing more than to see her suffer and die. There was no glory for her suffering, no godsend reason for her suffering like me.

And that made me feel like shit.

"Another right."

I turned the next corner and stopped.

"Shit."

I licked my lips and let out a slow breath, my finger hovering over the trigger.

In front of me stood Hana. Well not the real Hana. Another impostor, this one though lacked the proper decency of wearing clothes. Its compatriots on the other hand didn't even have skin. They were just sleek metal bodies in the shape of a human, glowing  
red eyes displaying their hostility towards me.

I tightened my grip and in the span of a second, read the entire situation.

First off was the obvious problem…. A single impostor had gone toe to toe with me without any real problems, even showing me that it was slightly stronger so I had to compensate for that. But they weren't invulnerable.

Secondly, if memory serves correct, they went toe to toe with me because of its maneuverability. It the open space of the death trap set for me and Tracer, it had the capability to twisting and turning whatever way it liked to ensure my shots missed.  
Here however, in this cramped hallway, that advantage was gone which gave me a better chance of landing a hit.

Thirdly, there was three of them. Which did not look good at all. But, there was no one else around…

Which meant I didn't have to hold back for the fear of injuring my own friends or allies.

I blinked back, my rifle barking off five shots as the machines lunged for me. I was still out of reach as they came and felt the weight of two grenades on my hip. I blinked back again, this time utilizing the motion to drop my rifle and grab the explosives  
off my armor and prime both at once.

But now the machines were on me.

I ducked under the swipe of the Hana machine, before rolling towards the closest metal skinned one and slapping a grenade onto its chest. I blinked forward and through it, then the explosion went off.

 _Boom!_

I was thrown forward but still managed to roll to my feet, my cape fluttering behind me and the second grenade still primed and ready in my left hand.

Two impostors still stood, the third having been melted by the power of Sol in such a close range.

The remaining metal skin charged me, its legs and movements precise and mechanized. I easily side stepped its first punched, and blocked its kick meant for my kidney.

What surprised me was the fact I wasn't pushed back like before, but I had compensated for it, and the distraction cost me as its fist flew into my visor and I stumbled back. The machine struck at me and again I easily blocked, before trapping its arm  
in a hold and twisting around before kicking it and blinking back.

I landed on my feet as the machine hit the ground and the Hana impostor narrowed its gaze at me.

"Dig, is it me or-"

"Metal face is a lot weaker. I'm thinking it might not be fully complete. It seems only the skinheads are technically complete, and this one looks brand new."

I watched as the metal head once more charged and this time the skin head came with it, though the skin head was more precise and smooth in its motions. The metal head's strike was rough and of pure strength, no technique, and I easily ducked under it,  
slipping past it and towards the real threat.

The skin head met me head on with a headbutt, unconventional, but got the intended results and forced me to take a step back. It took the moment and crushed its heel into my sternum, which knocked me back further, only for its friend to punch me twice  
in the back with enough force to throw me forward and off balance.

"Fuck this."

I released the primed grenade, and blinked forward past both, to where I stumbled into the wall and… then…. the machine, the Hana impostor, did something I didn't expect.

It grabbed the metal head and spun it around, between itself and the grenade.

 _Boom!_

The Sol fire consumed the metalhead but within a second it the skinhead kicked _through_ its ally and charged straight for me.

I went wild eyed and blinked back before drawing Last Word. I fired the entire clip at it, and the larger rounds at least made visible dents in the metal. How the fuck this thing even took Last Words clip so easily was beyond me.

Its arm twisted, and a blade appeared in its place, which it then proceeded to swing at my neck.

With a quick flick of my arm I drew my knife and deflected the blade, ensuring its momentum forced it into the wall behind me before I jammed the blade in between its ribs.

The machine didn't slow at all and simply placed one leg on the wall and pulled back while it kicked me with its free leg, forcing me back and pulling my knife back from its body.

The momentary disorientation was enough for it to turn and sucker punch me in the gut. The blow was hard and my feet scraped the metal floor as I slid back. It lunged for my torso, the biggest target, and I threw out my hands just in time to catch the  
blade.

I kept its motion going, and heaved, before throwing the machine down the hall.

It clanked as it hit the floor before smoothly catching itself and rolling to its knees, its back to me.

It stood and turned to face me.

I felt the familiar weight of Raze Lighter on my back.

Its eyes narrowed at the weapons appearance and it charged.

"Nate, more guards are starting to head to your level. I've also managed to restore the audio to the AV of your level and Tracer's definitely still alive, but she's dealing with her own impostor at the core, and she's trapped in by over a dozen guards.  
You need to hurry."

So Dig restored the Audio from whoever managed to take it down, which…

Which meant they could've been listening into the fight…

Time for some theatrics.

"Mistake one, challenging me in an enclosed space!" I roared as I drew my own sword and blocked its space. A sense of approval washed through me and I knew Dig was onboard with my idea.

I used the weight of Raze Lighter to press against the enemies sword and with a shove forced it back before twirling and trying for a decapitation. I missed because it back stepped in time but that didn't mater.

"Mistake two!" I continued with my spin and spun Raze Lighter in a wide arc, faking a strike for its torso that ripped open the flesh of the machines leg as it failed to dodge the real strike, cutting it wide open and forcing it to step back a few times  
in a retreat. "You stabbed me!"

Sure it specifically didn't stab me, but the jab is more for whoever had to be listening in on us fight.

Whoever the mastermind behind all this was.

Suddenly I glowed with Sol power. The first impostor I had ever fought had gotten lucky, it had space to dodge my Golden Gun, but this one… Oh it didn't have that luxury.

I held my sword in one hand and felt the power of Golden Gun in the other. I fired off one shot and the machine barley side stepped it.

It could dodge still, but it couldn't dodge two things at once.

"Mistake three…" I growled low and dangerously. I blinked towards my foe.

It struck at me and the blade connected with my shoulder, slipping past shields and armor and piercing flesh.

I grunted but pushed forward and swung with my sword, the machine ducked, only to find itself face to face with the barrel of my Golden Gun.

 _Bang!_

The head of the machine blew off in a spectacular display of light and molten metal, before its disintegrated into ashes.

"You fucked with my friends and innocent people." I looked at the ceiling as the ashes floated to the floor. "So, I'm coming for you."

I popped my neck and started forward, as Sol left me and Raze Lighter disappeared.

"Nice touch, whoever it was just left the system. But whatever they did to the video was probably manual since I still can't remotely turn it on."

"Any idea who they were?"

"No clue, but those impostors… well the skinhead, was definitely weaker than the first." Dig stated.

"Figured," I huffed, "wasn't complete was it?" I replied as my feet started to pick up the pace, my shoulder throbbing from the stab wound.

Dig grunted, "or it was inexperienced. What machine do you know values its self preservation that much?"

"You." I quipped.

"Besides me and the Exo's." He drawled.

"Not many." I pursed my lips together. "But we can worry abut that later. How much further?"

"Not far. Take another right."

* * *

Lena sucked in two gulps of air before she was once more forced to blink back from her opponent as it tried once again to take her head off with its makeshift sword.

The machine wore a choral accelerator, but…. it had yet to use it. So she had the advantage of speed and time, but its durability was insane! She had emptied four clips into it and all she could see were the tears in the jacket and the dents in the skin!

She considered using a pulse bomb but that could set off the reactor and she was very fond of staying alive.

So that was out of the question.

She blinked around it in an arc and flipped over a computer station, simultaneously unloading her clip into the machine, to which it used its blade to block the shots to its face.

"Bugger…" She huffed before blinking at it.

She ducked under its first swipe then-

 _Swick!_

A blade went thorough her gut. She went wide eyed.

Blood.

Warm blood started leaking from her, it crept into her mouth and-

Time moved back.

Three seconds it crawled back. She was blinking already, but instead of dodging, she blinked up and over the machine in a series of blinks to keep distance between them, once more firing away at its backside.

Every time she tried to get close she ended up getting stabbed.

It's like this thing was programmed to think like her, to _be_ like her. It anticipated her every move, and the only reason she was abel to stay alive was her recall ability and the fact she was keeping a distance.

Took the whole impostor thing to a new level.

She landed on another computer station and frowned as it turned to her.

This thing lacked her abilities but even if it lacked the capability of hitting her at range, it seemed more than capable of absorbing all the damage she was trying to output.

 _Bang!_

She looked at the doors as did the machine.

 _Ra-ta-a-at-ta!_

Machine gun fire…

 _Bang!_

Heavy single fire weapon.

"Ah!"

A muffled scream.

It was Nate!

Together they could beat this thing like last time!

She blinked towards the door, but appeared just as blade was arching for her head, she slipped under it, and spun on her heel, kicking the machine in the neck.

It stumbled back and she fired her weapons at the locked doors. The handle shattered and her ammo tore through the metal.

She felt the presence of the machine behind her and blinked to the side, and just out of its reach as it tried to stab her in the heart.

She grinned, "sorry love, looks like you're out of-"

 _Thum!_

The machines mouth had opened and fired…. nothing at her, but her ears suddenly were on fire and she felt tears instinctively blind her vision and her heart speed up. Her legs wobbled and-

 _Boom!_

The doors flew open, breaking off their hinges as the familiar form of Nate in his armor and cape walked into the room.

"Nate!" She and…. the impostor cried.

She looked at the machine. It was mimicking her very movements, her pain, her tears forming, and a pained grimace on its face as it stumbled to the ground.

It pointed at her. "Nate… this thing looks like me! It sounds like me! Don't let it fool you!"

Lena gasped. "Nate! It's me you daft bugger! I'm the real Lena!"

She felt her heart speed up even more.

This was bad.

Very bad.

* * *

I blinked.

"Shit."

Two Tracers. Each wounded, and each sounding exactly as I remembered.

"Dig…"

"Without going in there and scanning each personally, I can't tell the difference. They both have heart beats, both have thermal signatures, both seem to be breathing…"

Unlike with Hana, who I'd spent the past couple weeks with, I had only spent a few hours with Tracer at most. I didn't know her at all, and her appearance was still new to me so I couldn't see any physical differences.

I raised my rifle and kept a steady pace of switching between the two.

"Shit shit shit." I muttered.

Who was real!

"Shoot her foot." Dig suddenly stated.

And the idea of her reaction filled my mind. I nodded, realizing that he was hoping that the real Tracer would simply blink out of the way.

"What if the impostor blinks too?" I asked.

"Well then we improvise some more."

I shrugged and with a quick switch fired off two shots at the respective right foot of each Tracer.

One blinked backwards and the other stepped back as the bullet hit its mark but did nothing more than dent its metal.

My rifle swung to the Tracer on my right and I opened fire, to which the machine raised an arm and lunged at me, its arm poised to strike for my chest. I waited till the last second and spun around its advance, letting my rifle fade and drawing my Golden  
Gun once again.

I fired at its back but it leapt toads the reactor, towards our right and my round sunk into and through a computer. I twirled and took aim but didn't fire as the machine looked me dead in the eye.

This one was calculative, like the one in the death trap. It was aware of its self survival, and hell they both could dodge my golden gun shot.

But now this thing put itself between me and the reactor. If I fired and hit the reactor, I'm almost sure this place would blow, and with me and Tracer inside it.

Fuck.

"This thing's waiting for the guards! It's stalling man!" Dig warned and I glanced at my radar. Nothing appeared but I knew the the guards were getting close. Hell I had taken out like fourteen just getting in here.

They probably had a whole army on its way down.

I glanced around, the machine taking a lowered stance as its eyes continuously watched me.

What options did I have?

I frowned. There was only one option.

"Tracer, close the doors." I ordered.

"How!" She cried.

"Just do it!" I growled, and I heard the woman blink behind me, but what she was doing I had no idea.

"Dig," I started through the Coms, as I fed him images of what my end game was through my mind, "in about ten seconds I need you to appear at the far end of this room okay? Get Tracer aboard the ship."

"You know that they're gonna want to-"

"I know." I interrupted, the weight of Raze Lighter once more gracing my back, "but we have to take this place down, and no way am I letting her die when I can save her."

"Tracer," I then stated over my loudspeakers, "obviously your Comms are down, but I need you to listen to me very carefully." My right hand lowered down and slid to my back as it gripped Raze Lighter.

The machine narrowed its gaze, trying to figure out what my plan was.

"Move!" I yelled, spinning on my heel and blinking right at the door as I pulled my sword from my back and drove its blade upward, right at seam of where the two metal doors met.

The heat of Sol melted the two doors together and-

 _Wham!_

A metal foot hit the side of my head….

 ** _It was dark…_**

I stumbled to the side-

 ** _Then there was Green fire…_**

 ** _It was the inside of a building… golden age technology lying about in droves…_**

-the image was mixed with reality, with the impostor and Tracer. I not so gracefully raised Golden Gun and fired off another shot towards my opponent.

 _ **There was a Guardian walking forward. A warlock.**_

 ** _Dressed… Kathy!_**

I didn't see whether or not it missed because another foot hit me in the chin and knocked me back as a sudden red blip appeared on my sensor. I barely noticed it.

 _Instead I saw the minotaur… I saw it's weapon, its gray and black eye…_

 ** _There was a portal… Gray… White.. Purple…_**

 ** _My cape, fluttering out of it…_**

Another blip broke the shroud and Dig's voice shattered the remains of the sight, "Nate, at least thirty guards have positioned themselves outside! You have to take out the impostor now, or you're both dead!"

My eyes shot to my radar.

Too many enemies to count.

Another kick from the impostor arced for my head, and now rooted in reality, I blocked with my forearm, a grenade appearing in my hand, a snarl on my face and I wrapped my other arm around the machine before yanking it close.

No way was this thing getting away. It wouldn't hurt anyone else.

 _Thunk!_

 _Thunk!_

"Open the doors now!" A rough voice ordered from outside the doors, and more banging started to echo through the room, the guards obviously trying to break the makeshift metal wall I had forged with my sword.

A flash of light behind me and I heard Tracer gasp, "Dig! What're you doing here!"

"No time! Hold still!"

I glanced back as light washed over the Brit. She looked to me, her eyes wide.

The machine flexed its arms and kicked at my chest, but I tightened my hold, and felt a rib snap as it kicked again.

I scowled under my helmet, and only tightened my grip even more. I felt metal bending under my strength.

Then she disappeared in a flash.

"She's secure." Dig stated in my ear. "Hana and Lucio too."

"Good."

I looked the machine in the eye, and primed the grenade in my hand, several more appearing on my waist as I did.

"Fuck you."

Chain reaction's are beautiful things.

* * *

Lena gasped for air as she stumbled into the main room of Nate's ship. Her hands landed on the table and she gripped them for dear life as her world spun for a moment.

"Sorry. Disorientation's coming when its a fast transmit like that. Usually takes seven seconds. Did it in five." Dig's voice informed from somewhere behind her.

"Why?" She asked glancing back at the floating construct.

"No reason."

She narrowed her gaze then-

 _Bbbboooooommmmm!_

The ship shook and she heard a curse in Lucio's voice from what she knew was Nate's room.

"What the bloody hell could've that…"

Her eyes went wide. Nate had been in the reactor room. She had seen the grenade in his hand.

No…

She blinked to the cockpit, ignoring whatever warning Dig gave her and she looked through the viewing port and down.

The side of the mountain had erupted and chunks of rocks flew up into the air, dust and dirt flying high and looking almost like rain in reverse. The fire and light of the explosion hung in the air for another second before it started dying and she…

How much earth had been destroyed in that blast?

"Bloody hell… How… how much…" She wasn't able to finish as she covered her mouth.

"I'm assuming from the glance of the reactor I got, that this fusion reactor in particular, had a larger fuel capacity than normal, probably to help with the production of those machines. Probably blew half a kilometer to hell." Dig stated as he floated  
by her and too the very front.

She didn't look back, instead watching as the earth around the explosion cracked and trees burned, smoke blocking out the sun's warmth and birds flying every direction in fear for their lives.

No way Nate survived.

He was probably in several hundred pieces. Actually… he was probably vaporized.

Lena sighed and rubbed her forehead. And… and Hana! Had he even gotten her out?!

"What happened to Hana?" She asked, looking back to the Ghost, only to receive an answer from Lucio, who had limped out of Nates room.

He tilted his head to the room, "she's in there. Banged up and asleep, but Nate got her out. Speaking of the devil, where is the dude?"

She sighed and shook her head.

The man's face dropped. "Damn."

"If you could move please."

Tracer blinked away her weariness, and stepped to the side as Dig floated by.

The ship jerked, and she caught her balance before it suddenly started lowering itself towards the ground.

"What're you-"

"Oh you'll see soon enough." The Ghost eerily responded.

She swallowed hard and looked back to Lucio who simply shrugged. Great. Now the machine was being finicky. Last thing they needed was it going rogue and trying to kamikaze them into the mountain in revenge of Nate.

But as she watched, nothing extreme happened.

The ship simply lowered down about a hundred feet from where the explosion had taken place, close enough to where she could see the charred earth, and the chunks that had flown up and down.

Heaps of metal and ash and dirt, laid all around, trees on fire and a few others miraculously untouched.

She wondered how much of the base they destroyed. Hopefully they took out that army of machines.

Those machines alone could equal five battalions of Omnic troops from the war.

Humanity didn't have the strength to fight another war like that.

Not yet at least.

"Excuse me." Dig stated and again she was forced to move as the ship hovered and the little machine floated to the back.

She followed, curious to see what he was doing.

"What's up?" Lucio asked as she walked by, picking up her piqued curiosity and confusion.

"No idea, love."

She followed and as they entered the cargo bay, noticed that even the machine, the Bastion, was curious and followed to the ramp, which Dig had apparently opened and was currently floating down towards the earth.

Maybe the machine was getting somber over the death of his friend.

She sighed.

"Dig, love. He's gone."

"Nope." Dig replied, his tone bored and not even remotely worried.

She stopped in her tracks and looked at Lucio, who returned the same flabbergasted look she had.

Dig stopped about ten feet from their ship and his parts split, twirling around the ball of light in the center that she guessed was his core, then his own beam of blue light spewed out into several larger beams of white light and his parts started twirling  
faster.

She took a step forward and particles of light, literally stared to pull together.

Her eyes grew wide, as piece by piece, a glowing figure was pulled together from the ruined forest and mountain.

From the charred earth gathered shards of light.

From the dark, sun kissed sky, floated the strands of light that formed the tendrils of a man.

Glowing, pure light, that formed a cape, a helmet and all that made up the man she had sworn just died.

This…. should've been impossible.

She'd seen Angela raise others from the dead… But she was the only one, and even then, they at least needed to be partly whole for her technology to work, and to add onto that, it didn't always work!

Nate… he had been blown up in an explosion powerful enough to ruin the mountain side! There was no way he could'e survived something like that!

Suddenly Dig's parts stopped moving and the last bit of light latched onto the form of the man, before the light blipped out of existence in a glorious shower and before them…

Stood Nate.

The man coughed and stretched his arms.

"So I guess this is going to require some explaining huh?"

* * *

I yawned as I leaned on the table, my T-shirt tugging at my arms and my scars, particularly the one on my left arm, which was now itching up a storm.

 **"You're an idiot."** Dig stated in my mind, though he floated nice and quiet next to me.

Tracer paced back and forth before me, Lucio sitting on a chair with his legs up on the table, and an accusing gaze pointed ta me.

I guess keeping secrets from people was a bad thing.

"So… you can bring yourself back to life?" Tracer looked at me and I rolled my eyes as her gaze narrowed, obviously suspicious.

"Yes," I drawled, "and if I couldn't then we'd probably be in a much worse situation, as in you and I would probably both be dead."

"How?" She asked, crossing her arms and pursing her lips, "And why keep it a secret?"

I sighed.

 **"Told you. Idiot."**

 **"Shut up, Dig."**

I leaned back in my chair and crossed my own arms. "How would you started the conversation? Hey, I'm Nate, and I can't die because I can be resurrected an infinite amount of times. You'd probably think I was crazy if you hadn't seen it for yourselves."

"Angela can bring people back. But the way you came back…" She shook her head and Lucio took over for her, "dude you were blown up. No one should be able to come back from that."

She wasn't wrong…

 **"Better come up with something better than, I'm from another dimension thats like seven hundreds years further ahead in time and tech. That'll go well now that they don't trust you. Again."**

I scratched the back of my neck and yawned, "All right… I was in an accident. Chemical plant off the reservation in South America that a couple of friends and I were dicking around in. I fell into a batch of whatever they had and well… I died."

With that dramatic que, I stood up and shook my head, looking to the viewport and imagining my team.

"I woke up days later inside the tank. Don't know how, or why. I just… did. And they next thing you know they're pulling me from the tank, and they have my friends."

Green fire filled the edges of my vision and I close my eyes.

Why was a lie bringing up memories?

"And well, we escaped, but I got shot. Died. Then I came back. Same way as you saw, except it was only the wound that glowed."

I shrugged. "Honestly though, I was gambling. I wasn't sure if exploding would be something I could come back from. Dig, just kind of… speeds up the process."

 **"Not the worst bullshit I've heard you come up with. Still stretching it."**

 **"Like you said… I don't think talking about alternate realities and dimensions would go over well with them right now. Especially since we don't know how we got here."**

I felt Dig pause, and only the slightest of movement from him let me know that we were both thinking the same thing.

 **"You think someone, or something sent us here?"**

 **"Yeah."** I frowned then continued my bullshit story, "and well, after Kathy died, I made Dig here and started up the whole Vigilante thing to find out who did this. Couldn't find them, not even the plant. I was in Rio hunting a lead when  
I ran into skull dude and the sniper chick and, well you know the rest from there."

 **"What makes you say that?"**

 **"Just… a feeling…"**

"And why should we believe you?" Tracer asked, her frown only growing as she spoke. "You kept secrets from us, and we trusted you."

I glared at her and stood up, "don't act like you're some sort of saint. You didn't trust me and a few days ago you would've arrested me sooner than you would've trust me. You only trusted me because I was the quickest way of finding Hana, and we both  
knew she needed to be saved from those assholes."

"Did she know about you being basically immortal?" Lucio asked.

I pursed my lips. "No."

"Why?" He asked, his eyes narrowed, but his voice softer than before. He at least… seemed, like he was trying to understand.

"Who would've believed me?" I replied with shrug. "Hell, you two are acting like I'm some sort of double agent who just killed the president just because I tell didn't tell you."

Tracer scoffed with a shake of her head, "bugger that! You kept it from us! Don't you think an ability like that would've been useful to know about?"

I laughed, but my voice held no joy. "Because dying isn't fun. Sure I can come back, but I would prefer avoiding it, so I don't want to broadcast that to the world, especially to people I trust about as far as I can throw them."

"So now we're the bad guys?" The Brit asked, pointing to herself and Lucio, confused as to why I would dare accuse them.

"You're not bad guys." I huffed, annoyed with her accusations and blatant mistrust of me. "But it doesn't mean I have to trust you."

 **"What could've sent us here?"**

 **"Plenty of things. The Vex, the Traveler, some voodoo warlock magic… anything could've brought us here."**

The woman got quiet but her eyes never left mine. Lucio shifted uncomfortably as the silence in the ship took over, but mine and Dig's conversation only ramped up.

 **"It's possible, but neither of us have any memory of the day before we came here."**

 **"I don't know…" I** sighed silently and my mind flooded with memories of the vision from earlier. Of the broken and old computers. Of the Minotaur. Of the green fire.

Of Kathy, and my cape.

I felt Dig's confusion. **"When did that happen?"**

 **"It's a vision. Had it when I walked into the Fusion reactor room. I don't remember anything like that ever happening for real."** And I fed him the memories of what I saw.

 **"How didn't I notice… Is that even possible? We're mentally linked. And what the hell did you see?"** He rambled on in my head, his voice staying steady but the edge of it dipped into panic, into fear.

 **"I don't know man… I think it was…"**

 **"Kathy… but… if that's not a memory… that's impossible. She's dead."**

It's not just a human trait to fear what we don't understand.

"Well, at least Hana's alive." Lucio stated with a loud sigh, standing up and starching his legs. "Any idea what they did to her?"

I nodded. "Nothing good." Part of me wanted to say what I had saw… to tell them about the man that had tried to… rape her… but… it wasn't my place to say it.

I didn't know how to talk about something like that. What if Hana didn't want me to say anything about that? It could bring her a lot of unwanted attention to her, so I'd leave it up to her. If she wanted to talk about when she woke up then fine, but  
I wouldn't say anything.

"Look, man," Lucio looked at me and he rubbed his neck, "I get why you didn't tell us, but you definitely gotta tell Hana when she's up. Last thing she needs is someone she trusts keeping secrets from her."

For a moment I hesitated, but I resigned my pride and nodded. "I'll tell her."

 **"We should eventually tell them the truth."**

 **"I know, but first I want to find out who sent us here, we don't know what the bigger plan is. Plus, we should gain their trust. It'll be easier to explain if they're not doubting our every move, especially if it involves this world in any way."**

 **"In some twisted way, you've got a point."**

Tracer sighed and I moved my gaze to her. "Well, not that this wasn't a joyous conversation, but we should probably get moving. I doubt the military will miss this."

"Good idea." I stated, spinning on my heel as I stood, "Dig, lets head for…. uh." I glanced back at the other two, "any ideas?"

"Several." Tracer replied, "Germany."

"Germany?" I raised an eyebrow.

She smiled softly, "you said we'd talk afterwards right? Well, I know a place with a few more people who'd want to hear your story."

I looked at her and stopped in place.

In her defense I had said that I would talk to her and the rest of Overwatch when we got Hana, but I kinda didn't want to. Then again, I keep my word. I always do.

So with huff I replied, "where exactly in Germany?"

* * *

The ramp lowered.

My heart started to speed up, and my hands balled up into fists.

Tracer had told us of the base, of Gibraltar, and here we were. Parked in the every hangar of a group of people who had tried to kill me only a week ago.

Now, I don't hold a grudge, and Tracer swore it wasn't some sort of trap but I was still very uncomfortable being here.

Damn me and keeping my word.

The ramp of my ship finished lowering down with a _clang_ , and I walked a few steps down, casting my gaze out over the hangar we were in.

It was large enough for at least three of my ships, and was built with dark colored steel walls and floors. Above the lights were long and unforgiving in their radiance, and a second level of walkways and railing sat abut twenty feet high against the  
walls. Doors line the ground floor and the walkways on the second, and in the center of the Hangar facing me, were the members of Overwatch.

The cosplaying Angel was on my left, arms crossed and her staff pressed against her chest. On my right was the man with a giant hammer, his armor shining and his helmet clasped in his hands, white hair and beard on full display.

I didn't see Terminator, but I saw four others I didn't know; a man with a cowboy hat, a poncho, and a metal arm leaning on the railing of the second floor walkway as he stared me down with a cigar popped in his mouth.

The second person was a woman at the back of the hangar working on something I couldn't see She had a thick coat tied around her waits and a blue tang top on her person, and pushed her glasses up as her head turned to look at me, brunette hair framing  
her face.

And next was the short man sitting on the table where she was working, an eyepatch covering one eye, a frown etched across his face, his long beard twitching as he stared me down.

The last person… well…. beast… thing? All right its a giant fucking gorilla standing in the center of the three up front and staring at me like I was some sort of science experiment. Oh did I mention he's wearing glasses?

Yeah that's not weird.

I felt someone push past me and watched as Tracer slid by and down the ramp, giving me a soft smile and nod as she did so.

"Overwatch…" Someone mumbled next to me, and I spared a glance to them.

Hana coughed once, grimacing as she did. She wore some of my older clothes, and Lucio was holding her up as he tried to support his own weight. Dig had checked him out and found out he had fractured two ribs. It was no wonder the dude was having a hard  
time walking around.

I didn't reply to Hana's statement and even barely glanced back as Bastion's stepped echoed out from behind us, the whirr of his joints and steps proclaiming his presence to the world.

The giant man, the one with the hammer, tensed at the sight and I saw him wrap his hand around his hammer, his eyes narrowing dangerously in preparation for battle.

Immediately I stepped in front of my robot friend and raised my hands, "he's with me."

"Relax, love." Tracer stepped passed me and ambled towards the group assembled before us, and without looking the Angel placed a hand on the arm of the man and he reluctantly relaxed, though his frown never left.

"Hana Song?" The Angel asked out loud.

I glanced at the girl besides me and her eyes lit up with recognition, yet instead of answering to her name, instead of moving forward, she stepped back and towards me, putting her arm even further behind Lucio…

PTSD… Damn, she wasn't even able to trust the supposed heroes now.

 **"Dig, we're gonna have to keep an eye on her."**

 **"Agreed."** He replied through our mental link. He was currently in the cockpit, ready to kickstart the engines and the shields just in case.

"It's okay, lets get you to a room and check out your injuries." The Angel stated softly, a sweet, sad smile on her face as she stepped forward.

I could see Hana gulp and her eyes start shooting back and forth.

 **"Nate her heart rate's increasing. Get the attention off her, its fucking with her mind."**

I stepped forward and the groups eyes fell to me.

"So you all wanted to talk?" I announced.

Suddenly the giant man, his voice rumbling with power, asked,

"Lena, vhy is he here?"

"He agreed to talk to us." Tracer stated with what I knew must've been a grin, "just try to not to squish him."

With another smile she stated, "his name's Nate. Short for Nathaniel I think?" She looked at me and I nodded my confirmation.

You could almost grab the tension in the air.

"So," I drawled, crossing my arms and lifting my head so I stood taller, "what do you want to know?"

 **"Heart rate lowering. I think attention is going to get to her for a bit. Makes sense since she was probably tortured and had all sorts of unwanted attention."**

 **"Is there a trigger?"**

 **"Might not be one. Depends on the person."**

I wasn't willing to beat around the bush now. I was here now, might as well get this shit done with so Hana didn't have a heart attack.

"What happened in Korea?" The Angel asked, her brow lowering in concentration and accusation.

I glared from behind my visor and crossed my arms, "which time?"

"Both," the Ape answered in a deep voice, though his lacked the accusation the Angel's had.

I spared a subtle glance to Hana and saw her lean forward, her eyes closed and heavy breaths leaving her.

Exhaustion and pain.

"Well I can tell you I didn't stab her on purpose." I replied before looking back at my 'jury'.

"Care to explain?" The Angel asked, her voice hard again now that it was pointed towards me.

I sighed. "I was trying to disable her mech and was surrounded on all sides by her friends, all in similar mechs. I've had bad experiences with being surrounded, so I freaked and just reacted. There was no thought, and hell if you actually paid attention  
then you'd see how I tried to shield her from getting shot by her own friends."

The Ape narrowed his brow and the giant hummed something under his breath. The Angel simply glared at me but pursed her lips together and responded, "and what happened to her?"

I looked back at Hana and she closed her eyes, and I could see her cheeks flex as she dealt with… well I knew what she was dealing with.

"Well their top… tormentor had her for almost twenty four hours. What do you think happened?" I replied, my scowl only growing.

Again the woman glared at me and stepped forward, "I think-"

"Enough." The Ape huffed, stepping down with one of his hands and looking at the Angel then at me, the nodded towards Hana. "Is she all right?"

I looked back and saw she still had her teeth clenched and her eyes closed.

I shook my head, "she needs a room, and medical attention."

He nodded again, "Angela if you would?"

I saw the Angel smile sadly and step forward, motioning towards one of the doors at the far end of the Hangar. I looked at Lucio, "get her some help."

He nodded and slowly helped Hana down the ramp.

The Angel lead them away and I turned my gaze back to the Ape.

"So who're you?"

He grinned and pushed his glasses up.

"Winston."

* * *

Katya Volskaya stood staring out the window of her office, hands clenched behind her back, brow furrowed in utter anger and disgust.

"Mam, zhe British Prime minister is on zhe line for you." A man stated from the door of her office, his warm attire and hard, scarred look contrasting with her perfectly organized and neat office.

She sighed. "Keep him on zhe line, for a few moments. I need a moment."

"Yes, mam." The man nodded with perfect military discipline and closed the door, leaving her alone once again.

She sighed and turned back to the window. She had heard of the destruction of a mountain in the United Kingdom.

And the moment she had she had received a ping in her email…

A sign. A purple glowing one that meant her… friend was-

"Ello, Mrs. Volskaya."

The voice from behind her sent a chill up her spine.

She grit her teeth and spun, a fire in her eyes as she faced the Talon operative.

"Vhat do you want?"

Sombra smiled, her eyes glowing darkly. "I need you to… find someone for me and, find out everything ju can about him."

The darker woman placed a picture against Katya's chest, and the woman grabbed it before the hacker stepped back.

Katya instantly reached for the pistol on her thigh, but before she could even grab it a sub machine was placed against her skull and she frowned.

"Oy chiquita, no need for violence! We're friends." The hacker grinned again and lifted her palm, a holographic video of her daughter forming. "Boop, remember?"

Katya scowled and the hacker took her weapon and stepped back once more.

"I'll be waiting for your call."

And with a flash Sombra disappeared.

Katya huffed and looked at the picture in her hand.

A man in strange armor…

Wearing a dark cape.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **So took me a while but the next chapter is finally here. It's slightly shorter than the ones before, but thats because there wasn't much else I could write because of where the break is supposed to be.**

 **The story unfolds and now Sombra has her eyes on Nate. But why? What's her end game? And whats with this vision Nate had?**

 **So not a lot of Hana in this, but D,Va's gonna be out of it for a while. She was tormented and all that jazz. Also Nate isn't a total dick and spared the good guard from last chapter.**

 **Reviews:**

 **Foxcomm: they may not use gunpowder, but looking at Zarya's and Tracer weapons, they also don;t use conventional ammunition with ever weaponry so, eh. Maybe they found a replacement source?**

 **Highlord: Nate may seem slightly underpowered but here we see a bit more of his strength. A lot of fights so far he's held back or been caught by shear surprise, because you know alternate dimension and all that. Either way, he shows some of his teeth here and, though he may be slightly underpowered for the sake of making the story better, he will show his true strength eventually.**

 **Thean Bitter Crowe: Um okay. Tracer being a bitch… she's a secret operative of a powerful organization. No person is always cheery, and she hasn't stayed alive this long without being smart and distrusting of some people. About hana being in love… you obviously haven't paid attention to the dialogue or her own thoughts. She has no feelings for him, she has a sense of gratitude because you know… he saved her life more than once without asking for anything. Context clues buddy. It's a thing.**

 **Julbot1" Well shit. Didn't know that… oh well, I'll probably run with it since its established in the story.**

 **saekdk: Thanks! :D**

 **Captain Fsteak: Explained here. They have the numbers, but not the resources to power the machines, also even though they have the numbers, (truthfully) they don't want a full out world war on them. If they won, then what would be left? (nuclear war is always an option against such forces)**

 **Aquos dragon: So far I think its only the machines that have? I hoped I showed why this time.**

 **Guest: Um Guardians tend to be emotional. Cayde? The lady with the green eyes? Zavala? They all show anger, fear, excitement, giddiness, etc… They're still sentient, feeling beings.**

 **TheMetaReborn: Thanks! :D**

 **Redentor : Aw thanks!**

 **Wardog 4: Well thats all answered here.**

 **NoOneInParticular17: Bye. :)**

 **For the rest… thanks for all the reviews! I promise I read each one, but its late and I unfortunately don't have the time to reply to all of them, hence why if you have specific questions or anything you should PM me. Either way, thank you to every one who reviewed and keeps up with reading this! You all are the best!**

 **Next time we'll get more of Overwatch and Nate, and uh… well more characters will defiantly start to make an appearance.**

 **I'll do my best to try and update a chapter of similar or longer length every month or so. Unfortunately I'm actually staring a full time type job to finish my degree, so I have to do that now and it really takes a toll on me.**

 **Fear not for I will not give up on this fix! NEVER!**

 **Part I only has about four chapters left!**

 **Get ready for Part II… the Claws of Talon.**

 **Thanks for reviewing! God bless!**

 **-Metal4k**


	12. Chapter 12

**The Darkest Knight**

 **Part I: The Reformation of Overwatch**

 **Chapter 12: Gung boo**

* * *

I looked at the ape and simply replied, "nice to meet you. Now what do you want with me?"

Whether or not the reply angered him, he didn't show it, he just chuckled and responded calmly with, "we just want to know what the story is. Video sources, though hard to fool, are not infallible."

"Well that's something I can agree with." I huffed, though I kept my arms crossed and held my ground.

"Love, anything you can tell us would help in finding out who wants her dead."

"We already know who wants her dead. That fucking Talon group." I scoffed.

Tracer shook her head, "thats not what I meant. I mean that we need to know the details, so we can figure out why they want her. Talon just doesn't go after anyone for no reason, and any plan they would to such lengths just to accomplish has to be a game  
changer."

Couldn't disagree with that, so I stated, "no kidding, and if you all hadn't been fucking chasing me across half the globe and just listened to me, we probably could've figured it out a lot sooner."

"We didn't chase you across the globe." Tracer retreated, and I could hear the slight hint of frustration. Props to her though for keeping a smile and a relatively cool head now.

She was a bitch earlier.

 **"In her defense, she did think you were a murderer."**

"Either way, still a shit move to shoot first and ask questions later." I ignored Dig and met Tracers gaze.

"You're one to talk love." She chided with a sly grin.

Cheeky.

I rolled my eyes but decided to change the conversation, "okay so… exactly what do you already know?"

The Ape stepped forward. "We saw the video footage of your assault on Ms. Song, and acted on that. We contacted one of our old agents in Korea, and he decided to seek you out and rescue Ms. Song."

I pursed my lips, "if it was that asshole of a cyborg, he tried to kill me, not to mention brought freaking grim reaper along."

"Trust me," the ape growled, "Reaper is no friend of ours."

"Reaper?" I chuckled, "he's literally called Reaper?"

The Ape nodded, but his face lacked any amusement. Same went for the rest of them. Whoever this Reaper was, obviously he had been causing them plenty of problems.

But considering I shot him with Golden gun and he came back? Well, I'm not surprised that they're wary of him.

So with a frown I continued, "so what's you all's deal with Talon and Reaper? Obviously they're evil, and aside from trying to arrest me, you all seem to have a particular interest in taking them down."

"They've caused a lot of problems for the world." The Ape replied, his frown barely evident in the form of his mouth.

"That's specific." I drawled.

The giant man in armor grumbled something under his breath but I failed to catch it. The Ape instead continued on with our conversation, "we know they've been planning something. Something big considering they tried to locate all of our past agents."

I raised an eyebrow under my helmet, but keep my body language the same; generally disinterested. "When was that?"

"About a month ago."

I'd almost been here that long… No wonder they were feeling slightly on edge.

"I take it they failed at finding anyone?"

"They never got the locations," The ape started, "but that doesn't mean they've stopped with whatever it is they have planned."

"No kidding." I nodded, "they stole technology from Lucio and the company he works for, not to mention built those damn impostor things."

"What Impostors?" The armored giant asked, his voice rumbling through the hangar.

"We were attacked by some machine that looked like Hana Song," Tracer frowned though she kept her gaze on me, though it was narrowed in suspicion, as if I had some ulterior motive in bringing this up.

I nodded then continued her sentence, "it looked like her, and in no way or shape seemed… not human. Other than the fact its arm turned into a fucking sword."

"Was it strong?" The Ape asked.

Again, I nodded. "Went toe to toe with me for a good bit, but I have a few ideas as to how it managed that."

Winston seemed to accept my obvious reluctance at sharing Dig's theories, then replied, "then we should discuss what Talon could want with Ms. Song and why they have such machines in their arsenal, as well as your involvement with her and them."

I agreed with him don't get me wrong, well I agree with everything aside from the obvious mistrust of my connection to Talon, but I saw my chance to lay down terms and stated, "fine, but I have conditions."

The group froze and I could feel the burning gaze of the giant man searing into my very soul. I guess they were still sore about our previous scuffles.

"What do you have in mind love?" Tracer asked, her voice at least even despite her suspicion.

"Firstly," I stepped forward and felt my hand canon appear on my thigh, "no one touches me, my ship, or any of my shit, and I won't touch any of your shit. Deal?"

I twitched as the British woman nodded in confirmation then continued, "secondly, you're gonna have to show me some trust if we want to get to the bottom of this. I-"

"Trust goes both ways, love." Tracer retorted, a soft grin on her lips.

I frowned. "I know, but you guys attacked me from the get go, so you can understand my reluctance in trusting any of you."

"Understandable." Winston warmly stated.

My shoulders sagged as the tension of my statement left me, and I continued, "thirdly, Lucio and Hana decide whats happens to them. I know we both have the best intentions, but they choose where they go, so if Hana doesn't want a hospital or any of that  
shit, then angel lady is going to have to deal with that."

"Her name is Angela." Terminators voice suddenly filled the room, and without a sound he landed in front of the giant man, his green glow vibrantly shining and his hand up near his sword.

Where he had come from… Well fuck I don't know.

I scowled, "so long as she respects their choices, then I don't give a shit what her name is."

"You should respect those who would risk their lives for you," the cyborg replied, his hand slowly curling around the handle of his blade.

I turned my eyes to him, well I assume it was a him, and glared before saying, "I save my respect for those who earn it, not someone in a cheap costume and fancy pole tricks."

Yes, I meant to insinuate she was just a cheap stripper, though I'm pretty sure she actually wasn't.

My eyes followed his movements as his hand tensed, and the very edge of his sword slid out of its sheath.

I lowered my hand to Last Word, and placed one foot behind me.

"All right boys," Tracer suddenly blinked in front of the cyborg, "no need to get all bloody. We're just talking things out, and I'm sure Nathaniel didn't mean anything by his comments." She shot a glare at me.

I huffed and relaxed, pulling my arms up to cross them before stating, "all I meant was I have three conditions. You know all three."

"And they're acceptable." Winston stated, effectively ending any sort of standoff between me and the others, "but I'd rather not have a mess in the hangar so, I have to ask if you could refrain from any sort of violence while here."

"Sure." I replied as the cyborg lowered his arm and simply walked away.

Guess I pissed him off.

"Thanks." The Ape huffed, though I could actually here his frustration.

Apparently I'm really bad at first impressions.

 **"Well, you're no prince charming."**

 **"Shut up, Dig."**

I ignored my ghosts impersonation of a offended gasp in my head and walked forward a few more steps.

"All right then" I started, "so let's talk about Talon."

The Ape nodded, and replied, "if you'd follow me."

For a moment I hesitated but decided it would be better to follow. At the very least I could get a glimpse of their base and all its weak points and any possible escape routes.

Hopefully I wouldn't need them but I like to be prepared.

Just in case.

A pair of side doors slid open and revealed a metal interior, one lit up by soft blue and white lights that created a sort of… serene? Yeah that's the word. It created a serene glow and the hall was line with several doors, each of which was closed.

I watched my radar and yellows appeared as the rest of the Overwatch welcome band followed behind us, minus two if my count was right. I was pretty sure the two that were in the back hangar were working on something of importance, so they probably stayed  
behind to continue work..

Obviously they didn't see me as a threat.

Whether or not that was a compliment, I don't know.

The Ape walked in silence on all fours as he trudged through the hall, and a few open areas were revealed through either glass windows, or in the case of the workout room, a rather large metallic archway.

The windows revealed what I guessed was a training range, though there were not actual targets. Probably holographic targeting and projection systems that were shut off.

And through a dozen feet of paned windows, was the mess hall. A few long tables sat around, smaller four person tables sitting sporadically about, with metal benches and chairs before their respective tables and stoves, fridges, and all sorts of other  
cooking ware sat around just waiting to be used.

 **"Think they have family dinners?"** Dig chuckled in my head.

 **"From the looks of it…."** I glanced back at the group of misfits. **"Probably…"**

Finally though, after we passed what simply looked like a dark room who's doors were propped open, did we reach another set of double doors that the Ape pushed open and revealed a giant orange lit room.

A few lockers lined the metal sheeted walls, but the roof was entirely natural, made from the very mountain the base was built into.

Stairs to my right lead up to the second floor, a giant hologram of the planet sat above a table to my left, devices and other trinkets littering the table as if it was a workstation- which it probably was. In the center, hanging above the middle of the  
room was what looked like a giant, pulled apart and defunct engine.

Another set of steps lead down towards a giant hologram on the wall, one that featured a map of the world with various points glistening in blue over the orange of the map.

A marker board sat to the left of the map, and in front of the board sat what literally looked another workstation with tools and weapons strewn about it. Hell even propane tanks sat up against the table!

Then at the back sat a suit, a few carts with supplies, and a tire on a swing….

Well at least I can say this isn't the weirdest thing I've seen today. After all I was following a walking talking Gorilla.

So I followed and the ape walked over to the map on the wall, and stopped his head barely turning to address me.

"In the past forty eight hours almost all the known sects of Talons operations across the globe have gone silent." His voice was deep, and I could feel the frustration.

"And?" I asked, unsure of where he was going with this.

"And," Tracer suddenly blinked up to the map, but was facing me and the rest of her group, "we are the only two who have seen anything from them."

"More specifically, you saw those machines you said to have been capable of replicating a human." The Ape stated.

I raised an eyebrow and stepped forward, "well yeah, but what would that mean or have to do with Hana?"

"Like the big guy said," Tracer voiced her eye shining with worry, "we need to figure out why they wanted her so bad. That's why we wanted to talk to you. Well, at least now that's why."

So… she was hinting at the fact that she didn't believe I was some sort of serial killer now?

Cool.

One down, and like ten more to go.

"Over the past two months, I've watched reports of several… interesting events." The Ape warned, and suddenly several holograms popped up above the table that had once held a hologram of the globe.

I narrowed my gaze and looked at the headlines of the news videos playing.

"An omnic monk, striving for peace was assassinatedby one of talons agents. He held no political agenda, or corporateties, so why they went after him specifically is still a mystery." The Ape frowned as he approached the table and one news  
holo-vid grew large than the rest.

It featured one of the machines lying on the ground, men in suits surrounding the body, and a bullet hole in its head.

I heard a sigh escape the Brit from somewhere behind me, but my attention was drawn back to Winston as he continued, "and that's not all. Others, specifically diplomats and a few celebrities, went missing or suddenly died."

"So you think Talon's behind all of that?" I asked, seeing where he was headed.

"Yes, but only because most of those diplomats returned after only forty eight hours of going missing, not a scratch on them."

"Hmm…" I hummed and brought my hand to my chin, "so let me guess, you thought I kidnapped Hana and was apart of Talon?"

He nodded and I sighed in response.

Well at least now I know why they doubted everything I said.

"All right," I started, hoping now to really disprove their false accusations and ideas, because life would be so much easier if I wasn't trying to actively avoid everyone on this stupid planet, "so I get why you would doubt me, but whats the connection  
here?"

"You said you found machines that could impersonate a human correct?"

I went wide eyed. "You think they replaced the diplomats and wanted to do the same with Hana?"

They way his lips pursed and his shoulders tensed, were the answer to my question.

Now I really let out a deep huff and raised a hand to scratch at the back of neck, though of course my helmet was still on. "Well shit. That's bad. What diplomats returned?"

"Specifically the US representative to the UN, the British Prime Minister, a Chinese general, one of Russians ambassadors to NATO, the president of South Africa, and a celebrity by the name of Trisha Star, one of the most influential young people in the  
world." The Ape replied and Tracer once more blinked up to him and leaned against the table, a frown on her lips.

"And now they want Hana." I frowned. "But why? I mean, those positions don't sound entirely related except for the fact they're political. Hell, Hana's a famous gamer and a squad captain of a Mekka unit, but its not like she holds the keys to the world."

"Exactly my thoughts." The Ape echoed and he grunted something unintelligible, the continued, "but now you know why were hesitant in trusting you."

I nodded. "Yeah, but your firing squad could've led with that rather that start a fight."

He shrugged, "it was handled poorly, but I trust Lena's judgement, and she trusts you. Hehe, at least enough not to have you immediately arrested."

"Comforting."

"So," The Ape huffed and he walked towards me, about my height since he was on all fours, "I have a proposition for you."

I eyed him carefully before replying, "what proposition?"

"We'll treat Hana here and get her back on her feet before she can go public and denounce Talon and clear your name if you really are innocent, but aside from that I'm willing to offer you asylum here, but on one condition of my own."

"Whats the catch?"

"You stay under our watch and we can keep an eye on you till you're proven innocent then you can go on your way."

I laughed, "I'm not your lackey."

"I know, but you want Hana safe as much as we do, and given your keen sense of curiosity I'm sure you'd want to find out just exactly why Talon has weapons that can, how'd you say it, go toe to toe with you?"

I grinned under my helmet. For a monkey, this guy was smart.

But he had a point. I wanted to know exactly what this Talon was planning, and well at this point it'd be kinda a dick move to just ditch Lucio and Hana after everything we'd dealt with the past couple weeks.

Though, in all honesty I could just leave and keep an eye on the base from afar, but what the monkey offered was much better than that.

He was offering me an open hand to his base. A place to stay, and to keep close to those that didn't trust me.

Keep your friends close, and those who you have no idea if they're friend or foe and could either save or kill you, closer.

So I was gonna have to play ball.

With a nod I then replied, "Fine, but once this is all done, I'm clear to go and you asshats stop chasing me around the world got it?"

The Ape grinned, though the lines under his eyes hinted at his frustration and/or exhaustion.

Honestly either would work.

"You can do what you'd like, so long as you're not breaking the law." He replied and I held my tongue.

I could say how basically what they were doing was illegal, if the facts about Overwatch being disbanded by the government were true.

"All right then. I'm game. So where am I staying?"

* * *

"And this, is the medbay." Tracer stated with a slight twirl on her heels, a cheeky grin on her face.

I glanced around, mildly impressed by the set up till I saw Hana and Lucio. They were laying in beds parallel each other, and the world famous gamer was fast asleep, while the musician was talking to the Angel.

I frowned but let Tracer continue talk as we started over to them.

 **"Don't fight her please, I'd rather not have to revive you again."**

"How're they doing Angela?"

I let my eyes from behind my visor fall to the angel.

As if sensing my judgment she turned and her eyes locked with me despite mine being hidden from sight. Her brow furrowed and the beginnings of a frown graced the edges of her lips.

Fortunately the peppy brit in front of me, either through ignorance or by being completely oblivious, continued on with her one sided conversation, "Ms. Song doesn't look too good…."

That caught my attention and I looked at the woman in question.

Hana was asleep as I stated, but her face was pale. Her breaths were shallow and she seemed…. uneasy…. she kept twitching an turning and her lips moved as if she was speaking to someone, though whatever she said was completely inaudible.

"She's stable at least. She lost a lot of blood, but she's not in any mortal danger." The Angel sighed and stretched her right arm, her white coat loosely clinging to her.

I didn't reply, and simply pushed my feelings of a future check up through my mind to Dig. A simple feeling of agreement was enough for me to know he would teleport in and check up on Hana later.

"How you doing Lucio?" I then asked, turning my head so I was looking at the man.

He grunted as he shifted, his leg hosted up in a cast and his face decorated with a lopsided grin as he stated, "could be better, but hey at least I ain't dead."

I chuckled and nodded, "at least. That fire messed up your leg huh?"

"The explosion," He frowned, but it wasn't pointed at anyone, it was just there because of the circumstances, "but I'm just glad Hana's okay."

"You and me both." I replied then the angel spoke.

"So, Nathaniel," she stepped in front of me, her arms crossed but her glare at least lessened in intensity, "I must ask, how you convinced the others… of your supposed innocence?"

Harsh much.

"He's not just free to roam wherever he wants," Tracer exclaimed her eyes rolling playfully, "we just came to an agreement. He stays out of anything not permitted, and shares with us any info he has on Talon, and we leave him alone once this is all over."

The Angel's eyes never left mine, and rather than see relaxation, she tensed up and the distrust literally…. well okay almost literally, oozed from her person.

Tracer though, was right. My story at least bought me some time, and they fortunately failed to ask me where I'm from, which meant I was able to bulletproof my story now.

Yay me.

At least all I had to do was ensure that I kept them from thinking I was from another… dimension? Time? Fuck I don't even know yet, whatever. Either way I don't want them thinking I'm crazy.

Which I'm not.

Mostly.

Not at least until I have more proof you know?

 **"Sketchy."**

 **"Fuck you."**

"Fine, just don't cause her any more distress. It's the last thing she needs." The blonde scolded before she turned her back and walked away into to her little office, which was glorified with massive windows so she could see out into the actual med bay.

I shot a glare at her back as the door closed but turned to Lucio, "she treating you well?"

"Yeah man!" The musician sat back and leaned his head against the beds plastic headboard, "she's been pretty sweet, don't know what she's got against you."

"You and me both." I chuckled darkly.

"All right love," Tracer beamed, blinking in front of me, "time to show you your humble abode!"

"Already?" I raised an eyebrow, "I just got here."

"You can come back after I show you your room, I can't just babysit you all day you git."

Normally I'd assume she was insulting me, but her smile and generally carefree attitude forced me to hold my tongue. I mean hey, she wasn't being a bitch anymore so why be an ass?

"Fine, cheerleader, lets go."

She frowned playfully at the name and blinked over to the door, "well then hurry up! I have my own life to live."

I rolled my eyes and gave a silent nod to Lucio before following after her.

Once out of the med-bay we continued on our way down the set of metal halls that made up another portion of the base, and was basically the barracks wing. Of course I had no set room, but Winston had said I could use one of the vacant rooms.

Room 31?

Whichever that was cause there were no actual numbers next to the rooms!

"So how do you know what room's who's?" I asked, glancing at each door and determining from the lack of… well any sort of personalization that there had to be a way they knew who's room was who's.

She shrugged and continued walking with a skip in her step, "we just sort of memorized who was where. Of course not everyone stays here all the time."

"So what, you guys don't have like a permanent place to stay?"

"No we do," she sound to face me, stopping in front of the room at the furthest end of the hall, "just, some of us have people to take care of or spend time with."

The way she worded it…

"Let me guess," I drawled as she waved her hand in front of… uh the keypad which was apparently a biometric palm reader if my guess was right and the door opened, "you have some love struck dude back home waiting for you?"

"Well, _her_ , name" she emphasized the word but whatever, "is Emily, and yes, I like to see the people I care about every now and then thank you very much."

I shrugged as we both walked into the room, "I get that."

It was well lit and simple; a bed, a nightstand, a dresser, a small TV, and another door which I figured led to a shower.

"Shower?" I threw a thumb at the door.

"Yup," she popped with a smile, "but, don't ask me to join you love."

I rolled my eyes, "what? Don't want Emily to get jealous?"

She laughed and blinked back out of the room, "no love, don't want you to be intimidated. Two gorgeous women and… you? Please."

 **"Ha. She got you."**

Now I laughed. "Touché."

She grinned, "now, I have some things to deal with, so go ahead and make yourself at home. Just don't go anywhere you aren't permitted."

"And what exactly's not permitted?"

"Basically," she leaned against the wall, "anywhere that's not the hangar, the medbay, the mess, or the gym. You can hang out in the game room, or the main living room if you want, but that's only if you're on your best behavior. Can't have you starting  
a fight and end up breaking the pool table."

"You have a pool table?"

"We're not savages."

I rolled my eyes. "So if I get hungry…"

"Mess has plenty of stuff, and yes you can visit your friends whenever you'd like. Like I said, just don't go anywhere you're not permitted."

"And how do I know what's what?"

"Oh you'll know love."

Cryptic much?

"All right whatever." I sighed and pulled my helmet off, the cool air a welcomed addition to my current situation.

"Just behave love, and no one's gonna fight you." She gave me a somber smile.

I shook my head, "hopefully. We haven't been the best of friends."

"Oy that's true. Doesn't mean we can't all get along! Just don't be a git."

"Say's you."

"Exaggeration, love. Learn it." She gave a cute wink, then with a flash of blue, she was gone.

Cheeky fucker.

Dig chuckled in my head. **"Hey, at least she's not being a bitch."**

I shrugged.

 **"Touche."**

* * *

Night came and I ventured towards the mess hall, my growling stomach egging me on.

Granted I could've just transmatted to my my ship and eaten from my fridge, but my curiosity got the better of me and I just, _really_ wanted too see what a one on one interaction what any of the other members of Overwatch would be like.

In all fairness to them I'd only dealt with Terminator and Tracer one on one, and one of them seemed decent enough. Maybe the others would be more open to conversation if they weren't around other agents.

It was a long shot, but eh.

Why the hell not?

So I continued through the empty hall, helmet secured as to reinforce the mysterious persona I apparently had. Then again, I was mysterious to the extent these people had no idea who, or what, I was.

 **"So Bastion isn't very fond of being here. He says they probably want him dead, and well, considering the history between Overwatch and the Omnic soldiers, I don't doubt it."** Dig stated in my head.

 **"Just keep him calm. I mean, it's not like we can go anywhere till we find some fuel anyway."**

 **"You try keeping a poor, last of his kind robot calm inside the base of the very group created to destroy and stop his kind."**

 **"Hey, we made friends with some of the Fallen right?"**

 **"The Houses of Judgement? They're assholes. Not a good example."**

I caught sight of light escaping the windows from where I knew the mess hall was.

 **"But it proves enemies can eventually get along."**

My radar immediately told me two unknowns were in the mess before I even turned the corner, so when I did and saw two people sitting and chatting, it was no surprise and I walked straight over to them.

One was the man with a cowboy hat and a poncho over his shoulders, and left arm made of metal. The other was the woman who had been tinkering away in the hangar, grease marks staining her forehead as a tang top clung to her top half and a thick winter  
coat hung around her waist.

"Hey, so what's the best thing to snack on?" I asked as I approached the two, keeping a moderate distance as I did…. you know, just in case.

The man was leaning back, feet up on the table and the woman's posture was impeccable, but their faces were both…. unreadable.

Well shit. You know, I may be a badass, but I can't read minds…

"It ain't very polite to talk to a lady without introducing yer name before hand." The man grumbled in a heavy southern accent.

I glared down at the man through my visor but kept my voice even as I stated, "names Nate."

He tipped the edge of his hat, "McCree."

The edge in his voice was gone, and then the woman gave me a soft smile and politely said, "Mei- Ling Zhou. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Pleasure," I replied before continuing, "so food?"

"Oh yes!" The woman grinned, a kind smile spreading on her face as she stood up, "what do you like?" Her voice was heavy, a slight accent emphasizing her words.

I blinked, not expecting the bold politeness. "Um, well anything… chocolate or sweet?"

She looked at the ceiling for a split second, her mind obviously wandering, then her returned to me and she exclaimed, "well! We have a few things!"

With a quick turn she walked to the fridges, flinging the first one open and delving inside, before she pulled out a galloon of…

What the fuck? Chocolate milk?

I blinked once.

Of all things I expected in that fridge, I didn't expect chocolate fucking milk. Like, I don't know! I just… did not expect that.

"Well, we have this, and…" She closed the fridge and looked up at the cabinets, using her free hand to swing them open and search inside for a quick moment before pulling out, "a few chocolate bars."

She pulled out a few candies cars that I'd never seen before, and on the wrapper was the word Hershey's.

Smile still plastered on her face, she faced me and shrugged happily, "which one?"

I laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation.

Never in a million years, would I have expected myself to be offered chocolate milk by some lady in another universe as I stayed in a foreign base, on another Earth, that was somehow filled with several billion still living humans.

She raised an eyebrow at me, though her grin hinted that she was more entertained by my laugh than curious as to why I was actually laughing.

"Honestly," I managed as the grin onkt my face faded to a barely visible smile, "I'll take some of both if you don't mind."

She nodded, "okay! Just, don' eat any peanut butter! Winston's addicted to it!" And with that she spun around, merrily going about getting me a glass and pouring me a drink.

I shook my head, thoroughly confused yet entertained.

Like, she barely knew me, and hell after all that had happened between me and Overwatch… I didn't expected someone to be so… friendly towards me.

"Relax," the voice of the man interrupted, and I looked at him, "no one's gonna attack ya here. She just got here a day ago so she ain't caught up on everything thats been goin on."

"What about you?" I asked, curious as to what he was thinking.

"Me?" He chuckled darkly, "well, I've been around long enough to know a killer when I see one." His eyes darkened and instinctively I narrowed my gaze and let my hands rest at my sides, ready for a fight.

I stayed silent as the sounds of the woman, who was now humming to herself as she… cooked? What on earth was she cooking? I asked for a drink and snack?

Like shit where did the milk and chocolate even go?!

"She does that." The man once more started, "kindest soul I've ever known. But, don't worry kid. You ain't no cold blooded killer, but you ain't no saint either."

I frowned but relaxed.

Was it bad that I could almost agree with him?

"So you don't agree with the rest?" I asked, crossing my arms as my gaze fully turned to the woman.

"Nah," I could hear the sound of disagreement, "they're well intentioned, but they ain't the brightest bunch. Don't understand that context, is key to everything."

"You would excuse me killing someone?" I asked, glancing back at him, and now generally interested as to what his point was.

"No. Killing that Song girl? Innocent as she is? Nah, no excuse for that, not unless she was a serial killer whacking off every poor bastard she could. But them Talon folk? No issues with them bein' wiped off the board." He shrugged and added, "Angela  
may have a problem with you though. She ain't a fan of killin', no matter the circumstances."

"I can tell."

"Give 'er time. She'll come 'round." He suggested and I could only nod with his statement, unsure as to how long it would take for the resident Angel to actually trust me.

Then again, I hadn't made it easy on them when it came to trusting me…

"So, you and the girl, ya'll a thing?" He asked, though his gruff voice lacked any real implication.

"No," I laughed, "she tried to kill me twice, and I almost killed her. Trust me, there's no romance of any sort there."

"Hehe, well, wouldn't be the first time enemies ended up sleeping together just because."

"Sound's like you know from experience."

He grinned, "I may or may not dabble in the art."

I shook my head at his statement. "So long as I'm not a target, then consider us on good terms."

"Don't worry, there's only one kind of target ya could be, and ya ain't ticked me off yet so yer in the clear."

The threat was subtle, but I knew well enough that I was going to have to keep an eye on this guy.

God only knows what he considers pissing him off.

"Suppers ready!" Mei's voice interrupted my thoughts and I saw her walk over to us and place three plates on the table, one for each of us, with steaming chicken and veggies and a whole bunch of other foods I've never seen. She even placed a glass of  
chocolate milk next to mine..

Well at least she gave me what I asked for… plus more?

And how she managed to cook this that fast was beyond me.

She pushed up her glasses and as she set down a glass for herself and the man then stated, "Angela's seen some terrible things. Poor girl. If you'd like, I could try talking to her?"

I shook my head and reached for my helmet, "no thanks, I can handle her." And with that I shrugged my helmet off, the smell of food instantly hitting my nose.

"What is this?" I asked, taking a seat in the open chair, perpendicular to both of them.

"It's from home!" The woman chirped, her eyes sparkling as she pulled a pair of chopsticks form god knows where. "Gong Bao chicken! And you owe me five dollars McCree!" She teased and her mouth only smiled as she too sat down.

"Yeah yeah." McCree grumbled, and he simply plucked at the chicken with his fingers from his reclined position.

She smiled and, her posture impeccable, bowed her head once before driving her sticks into the fresh meal.

"Why does he owe you?" I asked, genuinely curious as to why he owed her.

The woman, Mei, smiled and simply handed me a fork before shooting the man a confident smirk, which was slightly uncharacteristic for her soft features.

"I bet her ya were a woman under that suit, she said ya were a man. Lost five bucks now." He grumbled as he took another handful of food for himself.

I raised an eyebrow and looked at the food.

In the Last City we didn't get a lot of different food. After all, most of the diversity we had consisted of whether or not you liked mustard of ketchup, which had somehow not died out after the Fall.

One thing that seemed rather good about this world was the food.

I'd never seen stuff like this, so seeing it now, smelling it, and almost taking the flavor through the very air itself was something even I had never experienced before.

Granted that was if they didn't poison this.

 **"You're too pessimistic. Just give it a try. What's the worst that could happen? You die?"** Dig drawled out his words in my mind and I mentally pictured me slamming a bat against his head.

 **"Lightbulb? Meet bat."**

With that I pushed my fork into the pile of food and took a chunk out of it, before twisting the utensil and bringing it's contents up to my watering mouth.

It tasted like heaven!

The flavors!

Some many different kinds, so many different tastes and textures! There sweet, there was salty, it was a mix! The rice complimented the tender chicken, and the veggies, soft warm, only added to the amazing texture.

Needless to say it was great.

"Never had Gung Boo chicken?" The man asked, an entertained grin on his face.

"Gong Bao!" The woman complained, her eyes playfully grilling the man.

"Gone who?" The man chuckled and the woman simply rolled her eyes before returning to her meal.

I shook my head in response to his earlier question, "nah. Never had it." Then I shoved another fork filled to the brim with food into my mouth and once more savored the glorious taste.

"Well, if yer staying here for a while, yer gonna get used to a lot of different foods. People from all over stay here. Well, at least they used too." He sighed but didn't elaborate, instead refocusing on his meal.

Huh.

I eyed him and wondered if the man had been here when Overwatch had been shut down. He said 'used too'.

Unless they had been operating illegally for years now, then he had to be referring to before, and what better source of information that an eye witness.

Hell, might as well catch up on my history right?

"So," I asked through a half full mouth, "what exactly happen to Overwatch? I mean," I swallowed then continued with a clear voice, "you guys didn't exactly leave on a good note."

Both of their face's grew dark, thought the womans features were more somber, and the man was far angrier than her.

McCree simply sighed and looked at me, "well, it ain't no secret."

Defensive. Figures.

"Sure, but I'm guessing you were there weren't you? You were apart of it before it all fell apart?"

"We both were." Mei simply smiled sadly before looking back to her food. She didn't look at the man and avoided his gaze.

"Ya know kid," He uttered with a huff, obviously relenting to my curious request, "there was a time when Overwatch was just a group of people who wanted nothing else than to fix the world."

I leaned forward, both to shovel the last of my food into my mouth and to show my interest in his story.

"It was a long time ago," The woman mumbled, her words sweet yet soft.

"That it was." McCree nodded, "but we grew too smart, to cruel for our own good. Bah," he crossed his arm and frowned, "I shoulda seen it comin. I shoulda."

"Seen what coming?" I asked, sitting back in my chair and feeling Dig's presence partially fade as he obviously teleported somewhere.

Probably went to check on Hana.

"I was apart of a group called Blackwatch. We were the more… secretive group of Overwatch."

The woman tensed at his words and for the first time a true frowned graced her lips. The sheer mention of Blackwatch soured her mood? What the hell had they done?

"We did a lot of… questionable things back then. We did it to protect the world, but… I watched him grow jealous, I saw him get cruel." He closed his eyes and his shoulders slumped.

"Reyes wasn't your fault." Mei voiced, her smile once again warm and inviting.

I raised an eyebrow, "who's Reyes?"

"He was the guy that pulled me out of the filth and made me into a man." The gruff man replied, "he was a good man, till he let his anger get to his head. Then he went and started a fight with Morrison, and kaboom. There goes the whole of Overwatch."

He looked ahead, not at any of us, but at the memories most likely swirling by in his mind.

"Sorry to hear that."

He shrugged, "doesn't matter now. He's dead and the world goes on hatin' us."

I stayed silent at that. To be honest, I knew they had been disbanded, but I knew nothing about who the public felt. All I knew was Hana and Lucio, and both of them felt like Overwatch was still a godsend. Maybe they were in the majority.

But maybe they weren't.

"What about you? What's your story?" Mei asked, keen in watching a topic change.

I shrugged, "just a guy who's trying to get over some… bad shit."

"If its a girl, just let 'er go. Easier that way." The man replied with a grunt, pushing off his chair and stretching his one human arm.

Apparently he wasn't too interested in my past, but either way I didn't reply.

I already let her go.

And now she'd never come back.

"We'll Ima hit the hay. Nice meetin' ya Nate. Have a goodnight Ms. Zhou," he tipped his hat at us, a charming smile sent towards Mei before he started off and the woman called back, "its Mei to you, McCree!"

He chuckled, boots clicking as went, but didn't reply to her and disappeared out of the mess hall's front doors, leaving me alone with Mei.

I shook my head at the mans antics, then turned back to face the only person still here.

"So, Mei, whats your story?" I smiled.

"Well-"

"GAHHHH!" A scream tore through the peace surrounding us and instantly I was up on my feet, my helmet simply reappearing on my head and my rifle appearing in my arms as I faced the doors and raised my rifle.

I could hear Mei's gasp and heard her shuffle behind me, doing god knows what.

Before either of us could say anything though Dig's voice filled my head, **"Nate! Medbay!"**

I blinked forward, encompassing the distance of the mess hall straight to the doors and dashing out in the hall beyond.

A flash of blue vanished over me and I saw Tracer land a few feet in front of me in a role.

"Nate? What're you doing ya git?"

"What happened?" I asked as I stared forward, following as Tracer too got up and started her way towards the medbay.

She shrugged, "no idea! I just heard the scream!"

"Shit." I growled.

What if an impostor got in? What if they had replaced Hana with an impostor again?! And I had lead them straight into Overwatch's base!

Shit, shit, shit!

It took not even a minute for us to round the corner, and the moment we did, there was chaos.

The Angel was trying to get into the room by pounding on the door and yelling Hana's name, somehow locked out, Dig was saying something to me, and the ape was messing with wires near the door, a wrench in his mouth as he grumbled under his breath.

The large man in armor, whose name I had yet learned…. or I just forgot not sure… but he was standing not far off, talking to Terminator, both arms crossed as they both stared at the doors with iron gazes, as if they were trying to will them to open.

"What the hell's going on?" I exclaimed, annoyed at my peaceful evening being ruined, yet also confused as to just what the fuck was going on!

"I don't know! I left for a moment…" The Angel replied, her eyes red and her for furrowed in frustration as hit the door again, "Hana please open up! You need-"

"Stay out!" A voice screamed back, its horse quality failing to hide Hana's unique tone.

The worst part though?

Her voice was pained, and I could hear the tears…

 **"I was checking her while she slept, but she woke up and… shit, it's PTSD man. I think she was dreaming about what that fuck head almost did. She's freaking out and she needs someone to either knock her out or calm her down. Like now, or she's going to hurt herself or Lucio."**

"Gah! Just move!" I yelled shoving past the Angel, I felt the shivers as someone shot me a death glare and heard the metal footsteps towards me, but nothing happened and Raze Lighter appeared on my back.

I grabbed its handle and felt the power of Sol race through me as fire engulfed the sword, and with a single swipe, I slashed the metal doors and incinerated both.

The opening was created and I blinked in as my sword disappeared from my hand.

The lights were on, and for the most part everything seemed normal.

Unless you counted the fact that Lucio was currently standing against a wall, hands up as if he was trying to catch some small pet, and the fact Hana was against the corner, hands wrapped around her ears and her eyes closed with silent shining tears slipping  
down her cheeks.

Something people forgot about us Guardians, is that at our core, we're still human… We feel, we get angry, we care…

We feel fear.

We feel pain.

So when I saw Hana like that, in nothing but pain, I could only think of one person.

Myself.

I'd been there.

I hadn't dealt with the same circumstances as her, but I had felt pain and fear. More so probably anyone alive on this planet.

More so than most Guardians.

None of them… no one here's seen, or _felt_ , the darkness of that pit.

They haven't seen the green fire.

Suddenly someone pushed on my arm and past me, their body almost gliding through the air and towards the sobbing girl.

The blonde woman, a smile leaking into her words as she spoke, "don't cry child." Her hands reached for the nineteen year old, a golden glow about her as the Angel kneeled before the champion gamer.

Her words were soft, and sweet.

Words coated in milk, and honey.

And as if I was affected, I felt my nerves start to fade, as my anger and hurt started to fade away.

 _A sword…_

 _Kathy, red hair and green eyes staring up at the being all Guardians feared._

 _Darkness surrounded her, and Raze Lighter, sang its blazing song in her hand as she struck._

 _It was beautiful. Raw power. Raw hate._

 _My cape fluttered, and my heart pounded in my ear. There fire, there was darkness and energy flying all around us._

 _Screams. Terrible songs, and screeches of the dead._

 _Kathy yelled, shield flaring, Sol engulfing her body as green and orange, light and dark, tangled in a brilliant flash._

 **"Nate!"**

My eyes snapped open and I caught sight of the Angel backing up from Hana, the younger of the two staring at us with red, tired eyes.

Whatever happened… I missed it.

 **"Dude what the… is it happening again?"**

"Hana?" I asked, stepping forward and ignoring my own pounding heart.

Her eyes looked up to me and I met her gaze.

"Get away." She growled, but it was tired and her voice shook.

I took another step forward, "Hana its fine. No one's-"

"I said get away!" She yelled and this time she hurtled a cup at me.

I easily ducked it but I briefly wondered where she had gotten it form before I dismissed the thought. It didn't matter.

So I steeled my resolve, "Hana-"

"Leave!" She yelled and her snarl was enough to stop me in my tracks.

A hand gripped my shoulder, and I looked back at Tracer.

"Let's leave her to Angela love. She knows how to handle these sort of things."

I glanced back at Hana, eyes still burning into me.

Then the Angel stepped forward again, and she shot a sad smile towards me before giving a single nod.

A deep breath seeped out of my lungs and I turned away.

My steps were loud as I left and my tracker informed me that Tracer, and surprisingly Lucio, had followed me out.

The others, which consisted of Mei, Terminator, the giant armored man, Winston, and McCree, who were sporadically spread about as they conversed, that is until Winston caught sight of us and moved past Mei who he had been conversing with.

He walked up to us, his knuckles and feet pattering on the ground as he stated, "how is she?"

"Not good." Lucio quipped, speaking for the first since I had broken his door open.

"Angela'll take care of her. She's got experience." Tracer sighed form besides me and I just crossed my arms.

I didn't know what kind of PTSD experience the Angel had, but I highly doubted it was anything close to my own. Then again… Hana apparently didn't want me around, so maybe it was best Angela took the lead…

"Hmph." The ape nodded before glancing back at the others, "just leave them be. Angela can take care of Ms. Song, and-"

"Winston," A woman's voice spoke from the roof and I glanced up the intercom built into the metal sheeting as she continued, "four helicopters just landed on the bases perimeter."

"Helicopters?" I asked aloud.

"Athena, where're they from?" Winston asked, his gruff voice disguising any sort of emotion.

"You're not going to like this…"

I wondered who they could-

"They're from the United Nations."

I raised an eyebrow, "aren't they the ones who disbanded you guys?"

"Yes."

Ah...

Well shit.

* * *

 **A/N Hey guys! So its been a while, and this chapter had several problems, mainly rewrites, and plot points that either didn't mesh or needed more time to be fleshed out. That, and the fact I'm beyond busy, is what took this chapter a while to get out.**

 **Again never fear, for this story will not go abandoned for after I post this I will immediately start the next chapter!**

 **So here we get a bit of set up for the upcoming chapters.**

 **I'm sure people are confused as to why Hana is suddenly being a shit to Nate…. Well, you'll find out. Just think about what a trigger is and you'll understand.**

 **Also Tracer is being more of herself, though she still has some snarky attitude at certain points.**

 **Next chapter we'll have something form her POV to get a better understanding of what she's feeling, but its not hard to understand why she was angry at Nate when she believed he was working with Talon, especially after the assignation of Mondatta. Or whatever the dudes name is.**

 **What exactly is Talons plan? Anyone have any guesses? I sure do!1**

 **….**

 **Well obviously I do cause I'm writing the story…**

 **Anyway onto reviews!**

 **Reviews:**

 **Supreme king of all Kings: one I like your name, two, Guardians are still human. I don't agree with this concept that they're suddenly gods, or whatever. They're still human, the main game establishes them as it shows they get angry, make jokes, have feelings, etc… TTK does a good job of this I think.**

 **XDDDD: Well… yeah :p**

 **JubJub 0250: right now… lol**

 **Akridtes: well not the rudest comment I've ever received, but I'm not sure you know that I do indeed do my research, and the power scaling isn't really there… I mean we've got some, but just to show where Nate is. He's pretty consistent in his own power. Either way, thanks for at least not being a dick about your opinion :p**

 **redx1221: Yes. There will be a relationship, but I win't say who. sorry.**

 **Jeggetts: thats definitely an accident. Don't know how it happens though I think its from who the doc editor on the sight transfers data from my computer.**

 **Guest: Thanks! :)**

 **Commander Knight145: Thanks so much! :D**

 **Raraiki: Awesome! Glad you like it!**

 **Guest: I agree Nate gets a little messed up, but if you get what I'm referencing especially with it comes to Eris Morn… then it makes sense as to why he's fucked up in the head. Like I hint… PTSD can affect even a guardian, as proven my Eris…**

 **LaurelPrincess: Thanks for the correction! I fixed it.**

 **MEleeSmasher: you are correct, but he's only had to bullshit to like…. two people…. both of which aren't the best at science, and one of which who had literally been a ghost…. so its acceptable to them. Of course though, he hasn't had to explain his story to Mei or Winston, and they're both scientists…. see where I'm going with this?**

 **All right so there are too many reviews to keep responding to, and I want to get this up, so again if you have any question you are just dying to ask, just PM me and ill get back to you ASAP!**

 **Thanks again to all of you for sticking through with this story! God bless and have an awesome day!**

 **\- Metal4k**


	13. Chapter 13

**The Darkest Knight**

 **Part I: The Reformation of Overwatch**

 **Chapter 13: Friends and Enemies**

* * *

"Oh this is gonna be good." I chuckled darkly.

So the UN, you know the ones who literally had Overwatch disband, just showed up here, and if some of the info Dig was feeding me was correct, they had a lot of guns as well as a representative from the UN security council.

I will say though that I partially felt bad for Winston and the rest of Overwatch. Their stress levels shot through the roofs only seconds after it was announced the UN was on their base.

Of course that was all small compared too-

"Move love!" Lena pushed me forward, rushing me and several others deeper into the base, closer to our rooms and the mess hall and away from the hangar and the other weird holo table.

I blinked once as the other complied and the Ape turned away, grumbling under his breath as he started towards a door at the far end of the hall.

"Hold up," I put a hand on her shoulder, "where's he going?"

"To deal with the UN, which is where'll I'll be off to once you get off your hind quarters and scram!" Tracer hissed, her newer friendly attitude replaced by one laced with annoyance and worry.

Basically she was acting normal again.

"Fine." I replied in false surrender, "I'm going, I'm going!"

I turned from her and left the med bay behind, heading towards the mess, and essentially my room.

The others that had left; McCree, Mei, terminator, and the giant in armor, had all listened without question, though they all gravitated towards the mess hall as they talked to each other in hushed tones.

Tracer simply huffed from somewhere behind me, grumbling as a flash of blue signaled her departure.

I shook my head and looked towards the mess.

Part of me felt like indulging in conversation and food, but I decided against it.

You see, what is the only thing better than eating?

Being a nosey piece of crap.

 **"So we're watching the meeting with the UN right?"** Dig voiced in my head.

 **"Duh."**

Now I figured it would be partially entertaining, but the biggest thing was that watching their meeting would give me a better understanding of what exactly the deal was between the UN and Overwatch.

At least that way I could really have an idea of who I'm dealing with in regards to Overwatch.

Or at least what the governments of the world thought they were.

So I walked out of the mess hall's line of sight, feigning going to my room as Dig appeared next to me in a flash of light. I leaned against the wall and seconds later I reappeared inside my ship, the familiar metal walls welcoming me with hollow sights and sounds.

My helmet disappeared and I found a seat in a chair, siting with my feet up as Dig reappeared above the table and twitched once before saying, "well, the security wasn't much of a problem to hack, problem is they have an AI."

"An AI?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. There was some rather advanced tech on this planet, that much I could agree with, and…. well I guess I shouldn't be surprised they have an AI.

Hell they have these Omnic things which were basically Exo.

"Has it spotted you?" I asked crossing my arms.

"Nah." Dig replied, swiveling around till he was floating above my shoulder, "I've my distance and just kind of observed. She's smart, but not nearly as smart as me."

I rolled my eyes, "can you play the security feed without her knowing?"

"Definitely."

You could almost feel the smugness in his voice. Almost.

Cocky little shit.

"Then fire it up." I replied, as his center grew bright and the video feed appeared mid-air before us.

Winston and Tracer were outside the base, both standing tall whether it was on two or four legs as the UN representative and their apparent security detail approached.

This was gonna be good.

* * *

"Operatives Winston and Lena Oxford." A man with a gut and bald head greeted with clear disdain, black helicopters sitting in the background with propellers still and pilots still seated inside.

He looked down at Lena, and she felt her gut twist in uncertainty.

Last time the UN came to see the Reps. of Overwatch, it was to discuss their imminent shutdown thanks to the revelation of Blackwatch and god knows what else. She hadn't been in on the specifics, but it wasn't pretty… that much she knew.

Now they had broken the law by reforming…

And she honestly had no idea if they'd be able to talk their way out of this.

"And who exactly do we have the pleasure of speaking too today?" Winston greeted, his deep voice accompanied by a smile and deceptive cheer.

The man shook his head, "names Johannes Wilson. UN rep."

"Figured that much out love." Lena pipped up with a grin. She leaned on her left foot and eyed the man.

The man frowned ta her, "Lena Oxford. Pilot prodigy turned criminal. Oh how the tables have turned."

Not even to a proper meeting room and already the man was throwing accusations… wonderful.

"I don't think criminals is a very accurate statement Mr. Wilson. We're retired agents is all." Winston responded, his frustration hidden by a smile and kind voice, "but lets retire to a more private location so we can-"

"So what would you two call that mess in South Korea?" the man waved away Winston's statement before yanking out a phone and tossing it towards Lena.

"What mess?" She asked as she caught the phone a frown etched on her face. Not even the decency to wait and give them the benefit of the doubt… who was this man to treat them like such?

Not to mention completely ignore Winston's politeness.

She looked down to see that a video had loaded up, and and her heart fell…

If this man really had them on video… then there was no way they could ever talk themselves out of any consequences.

Of course she knew what would happen if she ever reactivated as an agent, but… she thought she'd have more time. If not that, then at least have a way to talk their way out of it.

She held her breath as she started the video.

It was shaky, and muffled voices echoed all around, but what caught her attention was that the camera finally settled its focus on a street.

Reinhardt was there his hammer in hand as he looked down at someone else, someone with a cape.

Nate.

When they fought in Korea.

Shit shit shit.

She watched as the scene unfolded and her anxiety started to sky rocket.

Yet through her paranoia she noticed the way the camera started to shake, how words were said that she didn't understand and only moments before she knew she would appear in the fight, the camera swerved away from the scene and down towards the floor, showing only tile as the video came to an end.

Relief washed over her and she felt her chest deflate. If it had shown her fighting Nate, then there really would've been nothing they could do to deny Overwatch's reformation.

However, with only two of their 'former' ranks shown in the video, Angela and Reinhardt respectively, she could simply divert the attention elsewhere.

"When was this taken?" She asked, feigning surprise in her voice and furrowed brow.

The mans eyes locked with hers, his suspicion obvious, but he none the less fell for her game, "a few weeks ago. South Korea's President was rather adamant about bringing in the culprits on this video to answer for property damage and the injuries sustained by several civilians."

"Was someone hurt!" She asked her eyes going wide. That day… and since, she had been so preoccupied with Talon and Nate that she hadn't even realized the possibilities of civilian casualties!

The fight had been small and continued!

Hadn't it?

"Several bystanders were hit by stray bullets, but fortunately no one died." The man sighed with a shake of his head, then at her with pursed lips, "Overwatch was shut down for a reason Ms. Oxford. If you all are operating without UN consent you are subject to prosecution to the fullest extent of international law you realize this?"

She frowned back and replied, "of course, I know that, but we were completely disbanded. I was there when it happened."

"As was I miss Oxford." The man narrow his gaze at her.

She blinked and cursed in her mind, her thoughts runing rampant as she tried to remember the day and place the man.

"Then you should realize," Winston stepped forward, shattering her thoughts, "we both understand the consequences of breaking the laws of the PETRAS act."

"So then I'm assuming you have no idea where Ms. Angela and Mr. Reinhardt are?" The man crossed his arms.

"When I heard from Reinhardt, he was in Germany, and that was weeks ago." Winston smoothly interjected.

Technically he wasn't lying…. they had heard from him a few weeks ago that he was in Germany, and that was right before they told him they were reforming Overwatch.

They were walking a thin line… one wrong word and it'd be over for all of them.

"What about Dr. Zieglar?" The man asked, "she was present as well."

"Last I heard she was apart of the Oasis initiative,' Winston replied, "have you checked there?"

For a moment Lena wondered whether or not he was going to mention Nate. Granted, Nate was an unknown to the UN so maybe they assumed he was a Talon agent, or some new evil maniac like Doomfist.

The man didn't reply to Winston's taunt, and shook his head, "look you're an intelligent fellow, and you and I both understand the consequences of agents becoming reactive. Oxford here was already reprimanded by the British parliament for actively engaging a Talon assassin near Kings Row, but she was lucky there wasn't nearly as much public damage, and that her actions were justly qualified with the assassination of Mondatta."

"What exactly are you implying?" Winston asked, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

"I'm not implying anything. I'm telling you, that no operatives are to be active, and if they are, they and you, will be punished to the fullest extent of the law." The man replied, a frown etched onto his face, his feet scratching the pavement of the landing plan.

"Then you'll be disappointed." Winston replied, his face calm and collected, though a dangerous glow shined in his eyes.

"I bet not." The man grinned, "see they didn't just send me here to warn you or shoot out false threats."

With a quick flick of the wrist the man pulled a letter from his coat, and handed it to Winston.

The ape stared at the letter distastefully before taking it, a sixth sense warning him of his disapproval. Large fingers pried the paper open and he quickly read the contents.

Lena watched as her friends very shoulders dropped and his eyes filled with rage and defeat all at once.

"Win-"

"Where's the hearing going to take place?" The Ape asked, his had clenching the paper and his his nostrils flared with heavy, angry breaths.

The man wasn't threatened and simply replied, "in Vienna. At least one hundred and ten countries will be there, and there'll be plenty of security."

"If we don't show?"

"Then you and the others will be considered enemies of the state by every sovereign nation present at the hearing."

Winston growled and crumbled the paper in his fist, and Lena blinked nervously at her larger friends sudden spike of anger. The ape took a step forward and the body language of the guards hinted at their anxiety, that and the fact they all took a step back and their index fingers hovered over the triggers of their weapons.

"Then we'll be there. I'll find a way to get in contact with the others." The scientist responded, and with that he stood taller and his presence indicated that this… meeting, was over.

The man simply puffed out his chest and nodded once, "see that you do," before turning away and walking towards the helicopters.

His guards followed him, and the pilots began a whirl of activity in the cockpits of their respective vehicles.

Lena let out a frustrated sigh as she watched them board their vehicles, "what a git."

"Hmph." Winston agreed with an agitated huff.

The sound of engines crackling to life and the propellers powering up filled the air. They watch for a few brief moments as the helicopters lifted slowly off the ground, till they finally hovered over the helipad briefly then flew up and away.

They watched for a few moments as the helicopters faded into the distance.

Then her friend glanced at her, "get the others."

She nodded.

Maybe… just maybe, they could would find a way out of this.

* * *

I stood against the wall, arms crossed and a frown etched upon my face as I observed the scene.

So watching them argue with the UN rep. had been.. sort of, entertaining, but when they called us down to meet, and by us I mean everyone minus Hana and Lucio, well I figured whatever had been on that letter was bad.

And now the members of Overwatch were sitting around a large table, McCree had his feet up, Angela-I mean Angel- looked flustered, the dude in giant armor was pissed, Winston with his hands under his chin, Tracer was rubbing her temples, Mei was tapping her fingers sadly against the table, I had no idea where terminator was, and the dwarf man was contemplating exploding. Well at least from the constipated look he had, he seemed about ready to burst.

But to be fair, the bomb Winston dropped wasn't a light one…

The were all being called in to be present at what was going to be a hearing for the remnants of Overwatch.

Apparently the letter described it as a… jury hearing, where the reps. would basically decide if the actions Angel and the others took in Rio and South Korea were worth it and completely justifiable.

I guess it was fortunate that Tracer and I weren't caught or seen at the Talon base that exploded.

God only knows how much trouble we'd be in for that.

"So you're saying no?" Lena asked, glancing at the cowboy sitting at the table.

He shrugged, "I ain't going to any meeting. They already said I'm an outlaw, and hell, they want me in chains asap. No way in hell am I serving myself up on a silver platter."

"And you?" Winston asked, glancing to me.

Oh yeah so they apparently wanted me to go along since I could help 'justify' their actions. Granted, in light of all the shit that's happened, their actions are very justifiable, but thats to those of us who were involved and truly understand just exactly what was happening.

Politicians on the other hand… well, depending on their agenda, they could simply state they didn't understand and we, and by we I mean Overwatch, would be shit up a creek.

"Well what exactly am I supposed to do?" I shook my head, "having me there's only gonna cause more confusion since no one really knows who I am."

"Not to mention your stories a little… interesting." Winston stated.

I caught his implication, and simply frowned.

Who told him my cover story?

Shit probably Tracer. Now I gotta deal with that.

"Interesting?" Angel asked, her eyebrows raised as she looked between us. the others follow her lead, though McCree and Mei looked more genuinely interested than the other who just looked suspicious.

"Simply put," Winston started, "chemicals are the cause of his abilities."

Her eyes went to me, "chemicals don't cause teleportation abilities, maybe enhanced physical strength and speed, but not teleportation."

"Sure, in theory," I retorted, "but I was there, and I know exactly how it felt to learn I could teleport."

Again, I ain't lying!

Seriously though, learning you just came back to life from the dead and that you can teleport and have to fight a legion of Fallen just to get to safety… well I'm sure anyone could guess how it felt.

"Theory? I've been studying human anatomy my entire life," Angela leaned forward, "I don't think theres a chemical accident that can somehow enhance someone on such a level."

"And what about terminator?" I asked, "he's a cyborg dude, thing, and he's fucking strong and fast, not to mention wield a mystical fucking sword and can cut both my armor and shield, yet you don't question him?"

"No I don't." She retorted, her eyes narrowing.

I simply glared back.

"Enough please," Mei sighed, "we need to figure this out!"

"Though I would like to discuss this further," Winston replied, to which I shot another glare because he started this, "I have to agree. We'll deal with your story later, but for now, we should focus on the hearing."

"And I still don't think I should go." I replied, no bothering to let tensions die, "not that you can make me, but if you want me to, I would be more than willing to consider it if you offered me some sort of trade."

In all honesty we could use more fuel for the ship, but we still needed to find out if there was any on this earth that would even be capable of sustaining the energy my ship requires before asking for it.

I didn't need to reveal any sort of weakness to any one here. Though from the squint Tracer gave me, I'm assuming she knew what I was going to request.

The woman then sighed, "Nathaniel, we could use your testimony. It would help to have you explain it all."

"What about the girl?" The giant asked, "she could help to honor our story!"

There were a few nods, then Winston added, "her words would help both cases, yours and ours, not to mention throw Talon in their line of sights."

I shook my head, "that totally depends on how she feels though. Like shit guys, she had a hard time seeing me, and panicked just from sleeping. Is she really fit enough to handle a trial?"

"And," Angela added, for once not glaring at me, "if they're already opposed to us, they could have a licensed psychiatrist simply diagnose her as clinically insane, or depressed, or a number of other things to discount her testimony."

"Which is why having you there would help everyone out, not to mention Lucio's story would also be a plus." Lena smoothly added, only shooting a glance at me.

A sigh left my lips, "so what? we clear all our names, make Talon a wanted terrorist organization, and have Hana, what? Put under police protection or something?"

"Something like that." Winston grumbled, his eyes focused on the table as he thought.

The group went quiet and a few eyes glanced to me, each one waiting for my response.

I shook my head again, "whatever, I'll testify for you all on two conditions."

"Vhat conditions?" The dwarf asked with a frown.

I raised one finger, "one, I get to stay here and won't be arrested by anyone, no matter what got it?"

There was silence so I raised a second finger, "two, I have another favor I get to use at a moment of my choosing,"

Immediately Angela began to speak up but I kept going, "no, it won't be for anything illegal, or malicious, I'll just need supplies, but what those supplies are I'll let you know when the time comes."

The groups eyes were set on me, but with a hearty laugh McCree simply shrugged and relented, "ehhaha why the hell not? He ain't gone against his word so far, and it ain't like we're in any position to bargain."

"Fine," Winston agreed, huffing again and turning back to Angela, "do you think Hana will be able to travel in time for the hearing?"

"It's in three days right?"

He nodded, and I simply shook my head again.

Personally I thought the last thing Hana needed was to be grilled by an entire room of politicians but hell if she's up for it then who am I to judge.

"I'll speak to her," Angela frowned, "but I honestly don't know if revealing her will be a good thing, it could force Talon to act upon whatever scheme they already have in place."

"Please," I rolled my eyes, "they've already been acting since the moment I arrived. I've dealt with them like five times already, and now you want to be cautious? Obviously its a little late for that."

"What I'm saying is we shouldn't escalate hostilities further," she glared at me, "we don't want more casualties like Hana's, not until we know what their endgame is and how to stop it."

"Hold the fuck up," I raised a hand and stepped forward, my mouth a gap from her statement, "so you're saying that having Talon running around, hurting people, innocent people, like Hana and Lucio, is okay?"

She started, "that's not-"

"Then you better get real fucking clear because that's exactly what it sounds like." I interrupted with a growl in my throat.

"What I'm saying is that we need to be careful." She shot back, though her face stayed composed despite the glare in her eyes. "They've had time to prepare, we haven't."

"And thats 'specially if monkey boys theory 'bout them kidnapping and replacing people is true." McCree added.

"Who knows what kind of damage they could do if it is." Mei added with a frown.

I pursed my lips, "I agree, but saying that we need to just let Talon run around is nonsense."

"That is not what-"

"Oh will you both just stuff it!" Tracer snapped, her voice breaking through our argument like a razor sharp knife cutting through a stick of butter. "It doesn't matter what we did, or what Talon did, it's done!"

She sucked in a deep breath before continuing, "we just need to get through this hearing, then we can deal with Talon. They're not going anywhere right? So stop getting your trousers in a twist and stop bloody fighting!"

I blinked once, and simply shrugged. "do what you want, but we gotta make sure we keep Hana close. I wouldn't be surprised if they still want her dead."

"Agreed," Winston entered in a comfortable rumble, "now we make sure she's willing to participate then we build a defense around yours, hers, and Lucio's testimonies, and we add on any sort of Talon conspiracies to build more credibility."

"That's not much of a defense," I added.

"It's better then nothing." McCree replied.

Winston then continued for him, "which is why we'll keep building our defense over the next few days. Between all of us I'm sure we'll find something concrete that'll keep us above water."

His words ended with a comfortable silence, and the group simply nodded, even I nodded. No matter how shitty we had all been to each other, I would admit that I'd rather have Overwatch around and capable of fighting Talon than to be doing it alone.

Doing it alone hadn't been going very well if I was being honest.

"Then tomorrow morning we'll begin preparations for our defense." Winston said with final, tired smile.

"All right," I locked my hands and stretched my arms above my head, "well, if you need me I'm gonna take a nap, knock if you need me."

And with that as my beautiful exit, I simply walked out, doors automatically opening and closing for me.

I walked about ten feet before I stared 'talking' to Dig.

 **"Dig, are there any cities nearby that the black box dumped info to?"**

 **"Well, like I said, it was all over the globe. Nearest place would be… one sec…"** His voice echoed though my head, and I ignored my sixth sense telling me about the people walking behind me, **"Berlin. Huh. Convenient. I got a trace leading there, but I've only narrowed it down to a ten block radius."**

I let a soft nod rock through my skull.

 **"Awesome. How far's Berlin on the sparrow?"**

He was quiet for a second.

 **"Three hours, well more like two and half with the booster… wait, you're not going to sleep are you?"**

 **"Nope."** I chuckled in my head, **"someone's gotta figure out what they're up to."**

See I never agreed to worrying about Talon later, I said 'do what you want'.

I could deal with both these things at once.

 **"And let me guess, I'm supposed to keep the AI and everyone else busy while you supposedly sleep?"**

 **"Oh yeah."**

 **"Fuck me…"**

* * *

Rain poured down all around me. It bounced off my armor, breaking apart in brilliant flashes as lighting accompanied the water, a perfect contract and display of light against the black sky of night.

Puddles formed on the sidewalks below, splashing as what few civilians remained outside rushed home.

My eyes scanned the streets, the building, and every nook and cranny around.

 _Crackz!_

Lightning flashed and thunder roared behind me as I stretched my neck once again.

I sat in a crouch, and my feet twitched in anticipation from my viewpoint atop a grocery store.

"It's the only building with any sort of heavy internet connection and the only one with any sort of hard wired server."

"Are you sure?" I asked, slightly unsure of how I felt about breaking into a school. "It's a school…"

"Well I already broke into the servers of Verizon, and Microsoft. Neither of their stores in the area have the capabilities to store or receive that kind of info. At least, not from what I could tell. Also, theres the fact the rest of this area is either pharmacies or grocery stores so unless one of those stores with teenagers as cashiers, or the suburban homes of middle class families count as a hub of info for a international terrorist organization, this is the only qualified place."

I frowned as my weapon appeared on my back. "It's still a school…"

"A community College with the capabilities of hosting Talon. What else do you want man?"

My hand wrapped around the butt of my gun and I slung it off my back and into my arms. I flicked the safety off.

The school was indeed advanced. The building was two stories, but spanned at least two blocks with various grass scathed areas, and massive see through windows revealing common areas and long, intricate hallways on the very edge of the campus.

About six cars sat in the parking lot and one person was hurriedly rushing through the downpour towards one of said cars, so that meant there was about five people inside.

Easy enough.

I blinked off the roof and towards the school, lightning once more flashing through the sky and blanketing the sky and earth in a flash of white light as I reappeared on the street.

Boots slammed into the streams of water rushing down the pavement, and my cape fluttered widely as the wind howled and thunder roared its challenge once more. I started forward, my boots making almost no sound as the storm and what few cars drove by drowned out any sound I could possibly make.

Then a minute or two later I found myself walking on the sidewalk, right up to the main doors of the school's campus.

The rain only increased in its ferocity, and now sheets of liquid projectiles tumbled form the sky with monstrous winds throwing them onto the earth. It was as if the ancient God Poseidon was pissed at the world and decided to dump the ocean on us.

Or it was the fact that there was a serve storm covering the northern half of Germany.

The glass doors flashed with light, my silhouette darkening the frame and path into the school.

"You know, this would make a great horror movie." Dig chirped through my internal speakers.

"Eh," I looked at the doors and gently pressed on the handle, "last good horror movie we saw was dead space."

Locked, as expected.

I raised my hand and Sol erupted around my palm, fire flickering to life, steaming in the air as the rain vaporized before it even reached me.

"The live action or animated?"

"The one with Jaden Smith Jr." I grunted and pressed my hand against the glass.

Fire heated the center of the glass, and slowly yet surely it began to grow a bright orange as I fueled more light into the fire of Sol. The molten material grew weak and the moment I pulled my hand away it fell in a puddle at my feet, the rain rapidly cooling it and forcing steam to rise into the air for a few seconds before it hardened.

"That one sucks."

With the integrity of the rest of the glass door compromised I gently tapped on the glass and it cracked before falling apart.

"It's better than that shit of a movie called the Justice league." I replied as stepped through the door frame and into the schools lobby.

Wind and rain flew into the lobby after me, drenching the first few feet of tile with water.

Dig gasped, "that was a classic! The music, the CGI! All of it was top notch!"

"It was garbage, and not only hot garbage, but a steaming, rotting pile of hot garbage." I hissed, my steps silent as I walk thorough the lobby, past couches, tables and chairs towards a nearby hallway. "Anyway, whats the location of the server?"

"Second floor at the far end."

"Great."

I sighed and continued on, turning the corner and starting down the next hall. I'd just find stairs at the end of the first floor then head up.

The hall was dark, and silent and nothing but my boots could be heard the further in we got. Doors lined the hall, other hallways sprouting off from the sides and further away, and even every now and then, another common area popped up.

I turned another corner, this one to my left.

 _Beep._

I froze as a unknown popped up on my radar.

Fifteen meters ahead and to my right.

"Dig? Anything on security cameras?"

"Nope. No cameras in the commons areas and if I'm reading the blueprints to the building right then that's whats up there. Wonder if its a student?"

"Here this late? Doubt it." I huffed and I silently raised my weapon, my center of mass lowering as I stared froward, hugging the left wall.

Soft sounds, thuds and wisps of heavy breath started to become audible the closer I got to the next corner, and for a moment I was reminded of the time when Marco and I ambushed a Fallen squad deep in the Istvar Sink.

I stopped at the edge of the corner, and slowly peaked around to see-

Dark shapes against a wall.

"Oh shit Daniel!"

"Fuck!"

I turned back around, heat burning in my cheeks.

"Dig did I-"

"So that's what teachers do during their time off. Huh. Ah hahahaha!" He laughed.

I shivered. "Good lord they could at least get a room."

"Ahhh haha ha. Dude I totally recorded your face."

"Fuck you man."

"Nah they're doing enough of that! Hahahaha!" His laughter continued and I simply groaned before backtracking.

"Just find me a set of stairs… I don't want to run into anymore…. surprises." I lowered my weapon and followed as Dig laughed, but at least he set a waypoint on my visor.

I followed the path down another hall before hopping up a set of stairs and to the second floor. It wasn't much different. Windows, flashing lightning, the thud of rain, and common area with closed doors to actual classrooms and offices.

Boring overall.

So imagine my surprise when see through walls, aka glass walls, showed up at the end of the hall and rows upon rows of computers sat inside.

But before any of that, what I saw as I walked into the larger gallery/common area right before the computer room… or class, whichever it was, and I stopped mid step as a single monitor lit the area.

A girl- no, a woman… well fuck I actually can't see any details of her face- sat on one of the couches, legs tucked under her and laptop sitting on the arm of the chair as she typed away.

It looked uncomfortable, but eh. Who knows.

"So do we approach or-"

"Ich kann dich sehen." A soft, yet pleasant voice popped up from the girls position.

"What?" I asked, the hold on my gun tightening just in case.

 **"She said she can see you."** Dig informed me in my head now instead of my helmet, and I rolled my eyes.

 **"Well, it'd be nice if my translator was on right now wouldn't it?"**

The voice zehn asked, "Bist du nur dort stehen, and stare?"

Took long enough Dig.

"Sorry, I don't speak German." I replied stepping forward.

The girl/woman, simply looked up from her computer and towards me, the light of the computer was enough to barely illuminate her face, but I could see pale skin and freckles. Plus, either her eyes were blue, or she was looking at something blue.

"Ah. American." She muttered before looking back to her computer. She had a hoodie on, which was enough to keep most of her features hidden from me in the dark room.

"Sorry?" I asked, "I'm also not american." At least I didn't think I was?

Fuck if I know.

"Hmph." She mumbled, ignoring me now and returning to whatever it is she was doing.

I shook my head and started forward, headed to the waypoint which was located inside the computer room.

"Miss the exit for comic con?" The girl suddenly pipped up.

By this point I was a lot closer to her and was able to see her blue eyes and the edges of her blonde hair sticking out form under the hood.

"Comic con?" I asked, continuing forward with only the slightest inclination of my head to show her I was listening.

Her eyes landed on my gun and for a moment I felt self conscious as she obviously stared to feel uncomfortable.

She didn't reply, but pulled her legs out from under her and sat up straighter.

"So remind me never to take you out to a bar in armor. You're making blondie here freak out." Dig stated and I sighed.

"So what're you doing here?" I asked, continuing forward to the door of the computer room. I tugged at the handle.

Locked. Of course.

She didn't reply immediately and kept her focus on me. "You wouldn't happen to know about any sort of signal dump to this school would you?"

I blinked once and slowly turned around, eyeing her carefully as she in one sentence guessed almost exactly why I was here.

"Why do you ask?" I stated softly, my finger hovering over my trigger.

Sure she was small, probably about Tracer's height, but that comparison alone proves how dangerous anyone can be.

Add to that the fact she knew why I was here and-

"Because the staff asked me to look into their systems lag time. It increased about fifty fold over the past week, so I came in." She narrowed her gaze at me as she got up, leaving her computer on the chair.

 **"Dig?** " I asked in my head.

 **"Hold up. Scanning facial features… running search…."**

Her breathing was controlled, but I saw her hand slip behind her back. From the way her hand tensed up it could've been anything. A gun, a knife, even pepper spray.

But raising my gun would only provoke her.

I don't want to accidentally kill a civilian.

 **"Her names Sofia Hester. She's speaking truthfully if Facebook and the other three social sites she's apart of are anything to go by. She's a freelance computer hacker, though she had a contract with the german government a few months back."**

I sighed in relief and lowered my gun fully so it was dangling by my side. "I've been tracking the same signal dump for a while now. I was on an undercover op, tried hacking into something that ended up dumping its info all over."

I threw a thumb over my shoulder and at the computer room. "Guess where trail number one lead me."

"Hmph." She nodded and relaxed, though her hand stayed behind her back. "that other girl said the same thing."

My head tilted to the side a little bit. "What girl?"

"Dark skinned with half a shaved head? Friend of yours?"

"Not that I know of." I asked shaking my head.

Suddenly the lights turned on and I glanced up as did Sofia.

There was a crackle, and suddenly the intercoms came to life, "boop."

"Dig what the-"

 _Thoom!_

The lights instantly died, shattering, and sparks flew everywhere, the computers behind us fried like an egg as sparks cascaded from the sides and fronts, Sofia's laptop burst into sparks, and my shields suddenly depleted.

"What thum Teufel!" Sofia roared in german and english, my translator failing slightly as my visor flickered between life and death.

 **"Dig what the hell was that?"**

 **"Local EMP, but advanced and weaponized. Hell, it even managed to affect your armors systems!"**

I snapped my gun up and immediately scanned everything around me, Sofia freaked and threw herself to the ground, but she was fine since I obviously wasn't trying to kill her.

"Nate two things, one local police chatter has an entire division plus swat on their way, two, we have three unknown helicopters coming in from the south."

 **"What about the signal?"**

 **"Gone when that EMP went off… I think it was a fake."**

 **"A set up."** My eyes went wide, and I leapt forward, grabbing Sofia by the arm and hosting her up, my eyes however stayed on our surroundings.

Something thudded against my armor and I looked down as a small pocket knife failed to breach my chest plate. I huffed out an annoyed breath at the girl who gulped when she looked up at me.

"Really? I'm obviously not here to hurt you." I informed her and relaxed.

She took a step back and I started forward with, "we need to go."

"Why?" though she followed me and managed to keep pace and started into a slow jog.

"Because obviously one of us was set up, and if it was me, then the people coming to finish the job are going to kill you without any sort of hesitation, and I'd rather not have your death on my conscious." I bluntly replied.

The stairs came into view as Sofia started, "vhat? That makes no sense! It was just a DOS attack!"

"Doubt it." I replied, as I hopped down the stairs and Sofia hurriedly followed. "Whoever set this up, wanted me here, and you shouldn't… oh fuck."

I grimaced as stopped for a second and Sofia gasped from behind me.

You know those teachers from earlier?

They were both still naked but they were both on the ground dead. Throats slit.

Well shit.

"Okay so we need to go now!" I growled and raised my weapon, arc swirling around me, "stay close to me if you want to live."

Sofia didn't reply, but my tracker told me she got closer to me by a few feet at least.

I started forward, my weapon and eyes sweeping every area in front of me and to my sides as we headed straight for the front door.

Sparking lights and computers that we passed assured me that the whole school had been wiped, which meant that any security footage of either me or whoever the assassin was, was gone.

At least that's one less thing to worry about. Kinda.

We hit the front common area, the massive glass paned windows shattered, and rain poured in from the outside, the flashing lights of police cars in the distance signaling that the authorities were near.

The rain didn't stop us, neither did the broken glass, so we ran, Sofia close behind me as we vaulted through the open doorframe I had created earlier.

We made it outside, feet bouncing off the wet grass, and stated towards the parking lot as-

"Incoming!"

I glanced to my right and a rocket soared from the sky down towards me through the rain and wind.

I had about three seconds.

I grabbed Sofia by the arm, my arc power slightly burning her jacket and tossed her behind me onto the grass, Raze Lighter appearing on my back.

Two seconds.

I grabbed my sword and spun it off my back.

One second.

I powered up the Sol shield and- my eyes went wide.

I had no personal shields!

 _Boom!_

Sheer force and fire threw me backwards, shrapnel imbedding itself in my side and I hit the ground hard, flipping twice before I came to a stop and the hilt of my sword flew out of my hand.

 **"Gah."** I coughed and red specks showed up on at the bottom of my visor.

 **"You've got some internal bleeding. You're healing should take care of it, but you've got more incoming!"**

I glanced back to Sofia, who was coughing as she stood up, holding her side as blood leaked from it.

The pained expression she had though was clear, so no head trauma, or nothing sever enough to cause her to blackout. I took the brunt of the blast, so thank God she made it.

I looked up and saw three back shapes against the storm, lighting giving them an eerie look as they headed straight for us.

My eyes turned to the parking lot as red and blue lights flashed and several police cars just started to pull into the parking lot. Through the rain I couldn't see what the officers were doing but I have a feeling they were calling for back up.

You didn't just see an explosion and not call for back up.

"Get to the police now! I'll draw them off!" I ordered to Sofia and she followed my gaze.

I raised my rifle at the flying vehicles, "go now!"

I fired off a few shots. Whether or not they hit I didn't know, but it made Sofia run and ensured that I would be the only target. Or at least I hoped it did.

"Dig, sparrow!" I felt him confirm and as I spun and started to run, my sparrow appeared about twenty feet in front of me. I blinked forward, and landed on my ride, my feet hitting the sides and my hand throttling the machine forward.

Rain splattered against my helmet, and-

 _Rat tat at tat tat at ta at tat!_

Even the rain and wind couldn't drown out the sound of automatic gunfire.

Adrenaline rushed through my veins. My heart pumped faster as gunfire roared all around me.

I could hear them hit the grass, and then the pavement as the bullets chased me across and into the street.

Siren's filled the air.

 _Ta ata tat at ta ta atat!_

They hit water as the puddles exploded near me, as pavement blistered apart and into millions of piece and as cars that I drove through were hit, dings echoing through the air and screeches singling the fact the drivers were veering off the road and away from me as I shot through traffic and bullets followed me.

"Dig, give me something!"

"We're not gonna be able out run them!" He spoke in my helmet, mumbling as he obviously tried to calculate a way out of this.

"No shit! They're in helicopters!" I hissed back.

I hit the brakes and banked a hard left around a corner as the bullets suddenly decreased in ferocity, and hit the boost to launch myself forward. My sparrow took me through the suborn neighborhood, racing down the streets as rain continued to fall.

The gunfire stopped for a moment then restarted, but this time it was more focused. I swerved once then twice as bullets barely missed my sides.

"Boogies on your left and right!"

I glanced behind me as the helicopters flanked me on both sides, the third one trailing behind me.

"Find me a park!" I ordered, hitting the boost as I drove onto the sidewalk, hit a bump and used the boost to launch myself upward and onto a small car that I used as ramp to launch myself across the median and into another parking lot.

Thank God tech stores weren't too packed on rainy days.

Dig groaned, "yes a park! Great idea!"

"Just do it!"

I ducked as my sixth sense warned me, and several high caliber rounds flew over my head and ripped into the cars I roared past, which were the only cars in the parking lot.

Screams filled the air and I hope to God that none of this shit any civilians.

Granted, it was raining but you never know!

"Waypoint's set."

I simply glanced at the waypoint, and banked hard right, driving straight in front of an oncoming car, which I barley managed to avoid with a boost.

The roar of high powered engines filled the air, and gun fire accompanied them.

 _Rat at ta at atat at ata tat!_

"Shit!" I yelled as pain ripped through my side and I flinched. "Fuck me!"

I knew I'd been hit, but seeing as I was still functioning, I knew I'd be fine for at least a bit.

 _Thunk!_

I jerked as my sparrow shook and leapt up a few feet from hitting a sign and I was forced to realign myself as I started towards the park.

My hands tightened on the throttle and I lowered myself closer as a hiss flew by my ear and machine gun fire continued to rain down.

Puddles continued to explode.

Car's started honking.

More sirens filled the air.

Bullets.

Dig scolding me.

Ha!

And that jackass though South Korea was a mess!

I hit the brake and spun around, firing up the boosters as the park came into sight.

"Yes get us into a giant park so we can play fetch with them! Great fucking idea!" Dig yelled as I hit the throttle once more and made a U-turn around a light, evading traffic and bursting off into the park.

It was large, at least large enough that there were trees all around, and there were enough to cover a football field if my guess was right.

Trees rushed by and I glanced back to ensure my tail was still on me.

They were, though they started to elevate because of the trees.

"Get me Gjallarhorn." I grinned and felt my the weapon appear on my back.

"Oh…. So this is why you chose the park."

* * *

I landed in my room… well my room in the Overwatch base, and started forward with a limp, blood trailing down my side and my leg as I leaned against a wall and groaned.

"Fuck me."

 **"Well you're the dumb ass that decided to fight three helicopters in close quarters combat with fucking a rocket launcher!"**

I ignored my ghosts jab and my armor disappeared.

A pack of sealing gel appeared on my bed and I grunted as I forced myself to sit down, holding my side with one hand as the other grabbed the packet.

I ripped it open and a few minutes later, I was patched up.

Well relatively patched up.

Dried blood stained my skin, a pained frown etched upon my face, stitches hanging from my wounds not covered by gel, and a large piece of shrapnel sitting on the floor with fresh blood.

Piece of shit got lodged in me when I blew up the lead helicopter.

"And to think we didn't even get our hands on a freaking lead." I growled as I kicked the small fragment of metal and winced as my side throbbed.

 **"Well, at least what's her name lived."**

I nodded softly, "yeah, at least we saved one person."

 **"Speaking of saving someone, Hana's awake, and so is Lucio…"** His voice trailed off, then started softer, **"wanna talk to her?"**

 _Knock, knock, knock!_

I looked to the door and frowned.

Now who the fuck could-

"It's the cheerleader."

I closed my eyes and sighed.

Guess Hana and Lucio would have to wait a few minutes.

Plus… this was literally the last thing I needed to worry about!

I had literally twenty other things that were more important to do! First of which is trying to figure out who the fuck set a trap for me and how the fuck they managed to trick me and Dig!

Obviously its Talon who wants me dead, but why do it in a public place? Why do any of this so openly!

Like a sniper in a good nest when I'm out in the open would be a far easier option!

Second thing!

Well… Hana and Lucio obviously.

"Nathaniel I know you're awake. Open the door." Her voice was muffled from behind the door and I rolled my eyes before standing up.

Seriously what did she want.

Clothes, a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, appeared over me, then I walked over to the door and it opened.

The metal creaked and I stared at the woman with uninterested eyes.

She frowned and stood with crossed arms.

"Care to explain?" She asked unfolding her arms and pulling up a video.

It was of Berlin.

Well shit.

Wait how did she find out!?

 **"Dig…"**

 **"I didn't tell her!"**

"You have about ten seconds to explain why you were in Berlin and why for the love of God you were in a firefight, before I get the others and we lock you up till the trial." The fire in her eyes told me she wasn't kidding, and personally I'd rather not fight all of them for the risk of A, dying, or B, killing one of them.

I sighed, "remember that stupid little box I told you about in South Korea?"

She squinted, but I could tell she was racking her memories for some sort of recognition. "No?"

I sighed again, this time stepping back into my room and towards the bed. I plopped down on it and the mattress creaked. "I probably didn't even mention it to you. Too much shit happening all the time now."

Then with a big breath I continued, "remember in South Korea how I was fighting that sniper chick?"

She nodded, her fierce features calming down every second.

Good.

Maybe she'll believe me.

"Okay well, I stumbled upon something…. a black box so to speak with plenty of sensitive files from Talon. Long story short, it fried itself whenever Dig and I tried to open it, and dumped its files all over the globe."

"When?" She asked.

"Pft," I blew my lips, "a couple weeks ago? It destroyed itself not long after we fought in South Korea. Ka put. No more."

"And Berlin was a….?"

"It was a lead. Dig managed to track part of the signal from when the box dumped its contents, and so we followed a trail to a school in Berlin."

"A school?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah it was a set up. Someone managed to replicate either a fake signal, or simply got there before us and took the info before setting a trap for us. They're also really dedicated to killing me, cause if they weren't, then sending three helicopters after me was overkill."

Her eyes went wide, "bloody hell…"

"Yeah, you're telling me." I chuckled, but pain danced through me and I coughed.

"Great," she sighed, "so now we have to explain to the UN why our witness destroyed half of Berlin." She slunk against a wall.

"Hey I didn't destroy Berlin!" I scoffed, grunting as I scooted to the side and she took the offer and came and sat next to me a frown on her face, "did anyone get hurt?"

"There were a few injuries, most of them superficial, but no one died. Fortunate considering you had three fully armed helicopters aiming for you." She huffed.

I grimaced, "well, at least we know that Talon's onto me and Dig."

She nodded her head, then replied, "fortunate enough for us, that the German President is a friend. She'll let you off once you explain yourself, but…" her voice faded off and I glanced at her with narrowed eyes.

Her face steeled its resolve and she looked at me with hard eyes, "if you run off like that again love, then we'll have to detain you. You can't go running around like that, especially if Talon's gunning for you."

I rolled my eyes, "like I said earlier I don't-"

"I get it. You're not one of us," she shook her head and stood up, "but you're helping us right?"

I nodded once, not entirely sure where she was going with this.

"Then act like it. The more horse shit, like this, you do, the worse off we are. Same goes for Hana. No one's gonna believe you about anything if you keep running around with a stick shoved up your arse, acting all big and bad!"

She opened her mouth to continue, but I guess she thought better of it and instead turned around to the door. One hand held her up against the door frame and she glanced back at me, "I'll talk to Winston and the others, just… don't do anything else so stupid. I can't keep vouching for you, you know…"

And with that she walked out.

I rubbed the back of my neck and walked to the door, glancing down the hall after her.

She was gone and I leaned again the door frame with a grimace.

Maybe she was right.

After all, I was from a different Earth, and she voted for me when we came here. Then the UN showed up and if she vouched for me in front of them, and if I kept fucking up, then her word would mean jack shit.

I'd ruin any chances of her being okay, and myself. Not to mention Hana's fate in all this.

I was her kidnapper after all, in the eyes of the press.

If I wasn't trustworthy, and if the only other people who trusted me were deemed untrustworthy…

Well we'd just be making Talon's job even easier than it already was.

 **"Well she was-"** Dig started.

 **"She was kinda right…"** I interrupted, **"I said I'd help, and fucking around like this isn't helping anyone."**

 **"We're trying to help Hana aren't we?"**

 **"Yeah…"** I huffed and started down the hall, **"and the very person we're trying to help can't even look at me without being reminded of the fact she was almost raped."**

Speaking of said person I was gonna go see her.

At the very least, see her breathing with my own eyes. It was… comforting, to see that she was at least alive…

I failed at protecting her, but… maybe I could succeed at keeping her alive.

"So what do we do?" Dig asked, his proud voice, far more somber then I'd heard it in a long time.

 **"Well…"** I popped my neck, and rubbed my side, the ache reminding me of how fresh the wound really was, **"we keep going. We fuck up Talon, but we stop fucking around."**

I passed the mess hall, to which the lights were…. on? Wasn't it like three in the morning?

I shook my head and continued talking to Dig, **"we can't afford to lose the only friends we have here."**

I'd lost enough already.

 **"Aww. Is Nate going soft on Tracer?"**

And the shit head was back.

I frowned, **"I'm not going soft on no one you ass!"**

 **"Please, you're as soft as a tomato."**

I laugh out loud, **"that makes literally zero sense."**

 **"What! Have you ever had a rotten tomato? Like, the pictures of that shit are disgusting."**

Again, I could only shake my head as I passed the mess hall, lights flickering off, **"so that's what you do in your spare time? Look up pictures of rotten tomatoes?"**

 **"What else am I supposed to do when you sleep?"**

 **"I don't know! Figure out ways to beat Talon!"**

He scoffed, **"I'm a super advanced AI with mystical abilities… you don't think I'm doing that constantly? I can run through so many different programs at once that I'd make your mind break from even trying to comprehend it all."**

 _Shadows moving in the dark…_

 **"And I'm a magical guardian who can't die."**

 _A visor. A hand._

 _Unending darkness…_

I grit my teeth as movement in the dark brought to life green, glowing eyes.

I could feel my ghost grow calm, **"bad memories?"**

Mentally I waved off his comment, **"yeah, not you're fault. I just keep seeing shit."**

 **"I know, and for whatever reason I'm not seeing in, and we're linked mentally."** He sounded down right worried. Not that I blame him at all.

Seeing shit, even as a Guardian, wasn't a normal thing. Especially if its your dead girlfriend and green fire.

 **"Weird right?"**

"Nathaniel."

I froze, the voice belonging to someone I didn't expect. I blinked and looked in front of me, squinting through the darkness and at blonde locks of hair and brown eyes staring at me with nor more empathy than a rock.

"Angel." I stated, my voice even as I stepped back form her, her clothes a simple set of scrubs.

I glanced around for a second and realized that I was in her way, if her bowl of cereal and general direction were indeed indicating her path to the mess.

"Sorry," and I side stepped her.

"Apology accepted." She mechanically responded, though there was a minuscule amount of frustration painting her voice. She didn't bother to look at me as she continued on her path, leaving me alone and to my thoughts without even a glance.

I frowned as she retreated, but pushed any thoughts concerning her away, and continued down towards the medbay.

 **"She really doesn't like you…"**

 **"The feelings mut-"**

"Nathaniel," the angels voice pierced my thoughts again.

I glanced back and saw her glancing back at me. She still seemed rather hollow to me, but for a moment her eyes grew soft and she said, "she doesn't hate you."

And with that she turned, and walked away.

 **"Huh…"** Dig mumbled, impressed.

I didn't reply and watched her go, till finally she entered the mess and was out of sight. I sighed and continued on my way **.**

It was a quick trip to the medbay, and no one else was apparently up, so I went completely uninterrupted.

The doors were completely gone.

"Winston took them down earlier since you kind of blasted through most of them." Dig informed me.

Without a word I peeked inside to see whether or not Hana, or Lucio, was still awake after the talk I had with Tracer.

The room was dark with nothing but a few calm, blue lights at the ends of the room on. On the other hand, Hana was sitting up in her bed with a tablet in hand, the white screen announcing her presence louder than even a gun shot could.

Okay well maybe thats exaggerated but you get the point.

Knowing she was awake I sauntered in, and looked for Lucio. He was fast asleep, and I looked towards Hana, and made my footsteps slightly louder as I approached.

Her head shot up as she heard me and for a split second I could _see_ her heart rate shoot up, but she smiled, "hey."

"Hey Hana." I responded with a soft grin, taking a seat on the bed next to her. "How are you?"

She sighed, the smiling partially fading, as she then continued, "fine. Just… tired."

I laughed, "then why aren't you asleep?"

She shot me a glare, and for a moment I thought I had unintentionally crossed a line, but the glare turned playful and she rolled her eyes at me, "because I slept all day, and I'd rather play a game."

Her head turned back to her tablet and I watched as her eyes burned with determination, and her fingers flew faster than I though possible.

I blinked and leaned closer, turning my head awkwardly to see what game it was.

"It's called Pyramid run." She suddenly spoke, though her eyes never left the screen.

"Looks fun…" I stated, slightly impressed as her avatar in game maneuvered through impossible mazes at earth dying speeds.

We were silent for a few moments, then her shoulders sagged and her eyes closed as she placed her tablet down on her lap.

She sucked in a few deep breaths before she opened her eyes back up and looked at me, "I'm really sorry about earlier."

I'm sure a look of confusion crossed my face because she frowned and looked away.

"Hana, its fine. Seriously." I replied, sitting back before continuing, "don't apologize for something like that. It wasn't your fault."

It was faint, but her lip quivered and she refused to look at me.

Again silence overtook us, and for a moment it felt like my stay was cut short.

My nostrils flared as I huffed out a huge breath, and I placed my hands on my knees, preparing to leave when she spoke up, "do you want to watch a movie?"

Her eyes met mine, and though there was pain, there was sorrow, there was sadness…

But she smiled, and she pointed her tablet to face me.

"Avengers?"

I gave her a warm smile.

"Down."

* * *

 **A/N So here we go. So we've got a several issues.**

 **One… time is not my friend because work sucks and I have no time anymore…. -_-**

 **Two… I'm finishing up my book so thats taking a lot of my time now.**

 **Three…. Nate's been set up.**

 **So who set up Nate? I'm assuming most of you will know, and well Talon's really gunning for him. But why attack him straight up in the middle of Berlin? What do they gain from such actions?**

 **Also the UN sucks. And Mercy really doesn't like Nate. And Tracer, poor thing, is so confused on whats happening. Hana and Nate are friends still!**

 **Anyway, hope this chapter was to everyone's liking. There were a few rewrites hence why it took so long.**

 **Next chapter starts the two part finale of The Darkest Knight Part I.**

 **If you have any questions just PM me!**

 **Thanks for reading you all! God bless!**

 **-Metal4k**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N Important AN after! Please read it! (Update as of June 13th: I apologize for any typos or random "/" in the story. I'm not sure what the problem is, but my Doc Manager everything looks perfect, no typos or anything, so that leaves me to conclude that the site is having issues. I'm reporting it to fan-fiction and we'll see what happens. Again, I apologize, but its a problem out of my hands.)**

* * *

 **The Darkest Knight**

 **Part I: The Reforming of Overwatch**

 **Chapter 14: The UN Summit Part I**

* * *

Cool air. Brisk. Soothing.

Thats the first thing Hana noticed when her dreary eyes opened to the world.

Metal walls and beds surrounded her, and the large form of her friend, of Nate, was covered in sheets on the bed next to her. His back was too her, and despite all the things that had happened to them, he seemed…. peaceful.

She yawned, and her body ached. Probably from sleeping wrong and… well, everything else.

She sat up, her tablet slipping of her legs and onto the bed. With a quick sigh she stretched, her eyes shutting as her right leg extended, toes pointing outwards, arms twisting and back arching.

"Ahh." She huffed out, her eyes fueling opening as she took in the room.

The Med-bay.

Overwatch's Med-Bay. She had half expected it to be some dreary, dull, bland place like the movies, but it wasn't that bad.

At least the lights weren't awfully bright, and the walls were a shining, sleek metal, and the beds had at least varying colors for sheets, and there were several screens hanging on each wall.

She scanned the room, simply taking it all in since yesterday had been, a more or less, rough day. At least it ended well.

Watching one of the best hero movies ever made with a… friend. A good way to end the night.

She blinked as the word resonated in her mind.

Friend.

Was Nate really a friend to her? Did she consider him one now?

She smiled softly, one filled with sadness and pain.

She did.

Maybe if circumstances had been different, they could've been friends from the start.

With another yawn she slowly dragged her feet over the side of the bed.

She grunted as pain resonated through her broken leg, the cast, fixed with nanites and set by Dr. Ziegler, was holding firm and kept her bones set. If Dr. Ziegler was to be believed then her leg would be healed in only a week or two.

Unlike Lucio who was asleep on the other side of the room and had a simmer cast on but would only need it for one more day to fix the burns on his leg.

But, she was still healing… which was probably why there were crutches laid against the foot of her bed.

She looked around again, this time looking through the glass wall at the far end which she had seen Dr. Ziegler walk into just last yesterday after her… episode.

The Doctor was missing and she frowned.

The woman had been kind and she still felt a pang of guilt for screaming at Nate, but considering her calm expression as he slept, and the fact he bothered to come by the night before, helped ease whatever regrets she had.

Granted her memories about…. about…

She shook her head and focused on the present.

She grabbed the crutches and heaved them around in front of her. It took a minute or two, but she managed to stand on her good leg and got the crutches successfully under her arm.

Last time she had sed crutches she had been ten years old. She'd fractured her leg falling down a set of stairs because she got too excited when her mom got home from work on Christmas eve.

There had been some crying, but there was a lot of laughter afterwards. Mainly from her and her father, who thought her falling had been hilarious despite having to take her to the hospital.

But that was before the first attack, a long time ago…

Still, it left… warmth, yes warmth, in her heart and she smiled as she hobbled her way to the doors of the medbay.

The telltale sign of Nate's sword work, was on full display. The doors were still melted through, the metal having already hardened.

She stopped for a moment and looked back at Nate's slumbering form.

He had done this because of her, just to get to her. A bit overdramatic, but considering how she… how she…

She shook her head again, banishing the thoughts of her incident, and started forward, easily getting through the makeshift doorway in the melted metal.

It wasn't till she was out into the hallway did she realize two things: one, she was starving and wanted nothing but junk food, and two…

"Ah, Shi-bal..." she sighed in Korean. She had no idea where any of the food was.

"What a colorful vocabulary for such a young girl." A metallic voice filled the hallway and Hana half jumped half yelped and she turned to look down the hall.

It was the robot. The silver plated, green lit, robot that had attacked them in Korea.

She instantly backed up, and her body tensed, ignoring the fact it had understood her cursing in Korean.

The cyborg simply turned his head to the side, obviously confused by her reaction.

"Are you looking for something?" The robot asked, the voice obviously male despite the metallic ping it held.

She held her tongue and simply shook her head. She knew he was apart of Overwatch, she had seen his pictures before and knew he had fought Nate, hence her distrust of it.

But… it's name eluded her.

"Well, if you are interested in a meal, I believe Mei-san is cooking an exquisite cuisine combined of beef and bread called burgers." The robot joked, and she noticed how formal his english sounded, and that it said San.

So it was from Japan. Interesting.

"Down this way," it motioned, well… she guessed it was an it despite its male voice. Omnics didn't have genders since they were, well robots.

The omnic simply walked past her and continued down the hallway, its footsteps eerily silent on the metal.

For a moment she hoped Lucio or Nathaniel would walk out of the Medbay, but when they didn't and the omnic stopped and asked, "Ms. Song are you all right?"

"Fine," she retorted a little too coldly, but the robot seemed unfounded, and only nodded in repose before continuing on its path.

Her stomach growled, and she frowned.

Damn hunger pains.

So with great reluctance she stared after the Omnic. Of course she was loud compared to the robot, but she noticed it slowed as she approached and soon enough she was hobbling side by side with it.

The walk was quiet, and they passed a room, which guessing by the weights and work out machinery inside, she figured was a gym.

"Ms. Song," the robot suddenly spoke and she couldn't help but glance at it.

It kept its head forward and its posture was impeccable as it spoke, "I would like to apologize, for my actions in Korea. I was under the assumption that you were kidnapped by Nathaniel-san, and acted accordingly."

She spared another glance and noticed this time that the robot was looking directly at her, waiting for a response.

For a second she held frustration with it, mainly for that fact that it openly attacked Nate, but after all… she had too. He had even stabbed her.

So with a deep breath she released her frustration, like her father had taught her, and simply stated, "call me Hana."

The robot nodded, "very well, Hana-san. It is a pleasure to meet you under more… positive, circumstances."

She nodded in agreement, "yeah, but um, I kinda don't know your name?"

"Ah yes, I am Genji."

The recognition hit her in the face like a brick!

She knew him! A super advanced omnic that Overwatch had designed! He was responsible for fighting with Overwatch to take down the Shimada clan! She remember seeing videos of him, of him fighting and saving civilians whenever the clan would play dirty and attack innocents on the streets.

But he had disappeared before the Fall.

"Genji," she grinned, "I've seen you in the videos."

"Haha! Yes! I mark quiet the impression don't I?"

She raised an eyebrow, "mark?"

"Make," he chuckled, "my mistake, english is not my best."

"Its pretty good," she complimented.

"Thank you," it bowed it's head slightly, "but I must confess I have a question."

She felt the tension in it's voice and raised an eyebrow, her signal for him to continue.

It took the que, "Hana-san, did Nathaniel ever injure you in any way?"

For a moment she felt her anger flare, and grew defensive, but once again, the rational side of her was abel to yank control of her words and though her voice was tinged in frustration she replied, "no, he didn't."

The Omnic looked at her again, then she corrected herself, "aside from when he stabbed me…"

It nodded, "yet you forgave him for that?"

She grimaced and replied, "yeah, once he… told me some stuff." Forgiving Nate hadn't been an entirely easy feat, but with the way he panicked, they way he seemed to just space out sometimes…

Well she knew he had PTSD about Kathy… whoever she was.

"But I trust him," She then added, her own feeling of gratitude beating out the need to stay quiet, "he's helped a lot, even though he can be pretty stupid sometimes."

"I see," The omnic sighed, "then I suppose I should apologize for the hostilities. I acted upon assumptions in Korea, and I am sorry for putting you in any danger."

She shrugged, well as best as someone could shrug with crutches under you as you hobbled you're way down a hall, "it's nothing new."

And with that Genji turned the corner into a larger hallway, where directly to the right where a set of mechanical doors that were ajar, bright light illuminating the mess hall through which the doors led.

The robot politely stood back and extended a hand out, waving for her to before him.

She gave him a small smile and hobbled inside.

There was a blur of activity.

Dr. Ziegler was helping another woman, one with glasses and a thick coat tied around her waist, cook something on on of the large stoves set to the back of the mess. Two men, one with a cowboy hat and the other was…

Her eyes went wide.

"Reinhardt." She gasped under her breath.

The man in question suddenly laughed, his booming voice filling the room with warmth and light.

She had seen the pictures when she was younger. She remembered them as clear as ever, the pictures of the valiant knight of Overwatch, of a man as big as legend himself.

But he had also been in Korea… he had also attacked Nate hadn't her? But not her.

She frowned, though it was filled with guilt over anything else. It was awful that such good people were pushed to such extremes because of a misunderstanding, but that was the world for you.

Misunderstandings caused so much problems.

"Ms. Song!" the booming voice suddenly addressed her and she felt the heat rush to her cheeks as the eyes of the four agents fell on her.

The giant walked over to her, and bowed slightly, though he was still at least a foot tall than her even at a bow.

He smiled and held out a mug, one she had failed to seen he was carrying.

It had her signature bunny emblem on its side.

"I vas vondering if you could sign it? I am a fan of your vork!" His voice was warm and its tone was so sincere.

She couldn't help but chuckle.

So with a grin she replied, "sure."

* * *

 _ **Three days later...**_

* * *

"So…" I asked, looking at my reflection with a small amount of disdain, "how do I look?"

Digs voice grumbled over our link, **"well, you look about as serious as Will Ferrell in Elf."**

"Thanks…" I sighed, awkwardly moving the tie notched against my throat a little to the left.

In retrospect, I shouldn't feel too bad about not knowing what wearing a suit entails. After all, I work my armor more often than regular clothes, and back home I literally had zero need for ever wearing a suit.

Hell, I haven't heard of a Guardian ever wearing a suit.

Thank god for Youtube and tutorial videos, so I didn't feel too self conscious.

Just a little.

 _Knock! Knock!_

I spared a glance to the door of my room, waiting for-

"Nathaniel, you ready love?" Cheerleader asked from outside my door.

"Yeah, yeah," I huffed and headed to the door of my room, and muttered under my breath as it opened, "here goes nothing."

I stepped out and the doors shut behind me.

Tracer stood against the wall, dressed nicely with a sleek button up, a cute white coat over her shoulders, and a long work skirt covering her lower half. She even had a dash of make up on.

"Someone's all fancy." I smirked and she rolled her eyes.

"You're one to talk love."

She stepped forward and grabbed my tie twisting it upward once then twice as she readjusted it.

With a smile she stepped back, "it needs to be perfectly centered, and needed to be a bit tighter."

I felt heat on my nose as I narrowed my gaze. "Thanks."

Obviously she couldn't help the grin and she turned around, "come on love, the others are all waiting for us in the hangar. Apparently you take longer to get dressed than even Angela. And that's saying something."

I scoffed as she took the lead and I followed, "looking good is an art you know, and art takes time."

"Even rubbish takes time to take out love."

"Jerk." I huffed as I caught up to her and we walked side by side towards the hangar.

She didn't reply, and we passed by the Mess Hall, where Mei and McCree were adamantly talking about the pro's and cons of going to the trial.

Mei on one hand was completely onboard with the idea of the trial, hence her attire of a long skirt with button up shirt and jacket, but McCree was against it on the basis of the UN having it out for him.

To be fair, they did want to arrest him so I internally agreed it was best if he stayed back.

"Why do I even argue?" Mei drawled, loud enough for us to glance into the hall at her.

"We'll finish this when I get back." She huffed with a playful frown, and she trotted out and after us, obviously realizing she was late to the party.

Sucked that even Mei, who had done nothing short of be a scientist, was being called in.

So together, the three of us left the Mess Hall behind and continued on towards the Hangar, which was apparently large enough to house several more aircraft than just my fuel-less ship.

With a hiss, the doors to the hangar opened and the rest of our wonderful entourage was waiting there.

The Ape, Winston, was standing next to the ship… well was it a ship or plane?

It looked similar to mine with a sleeker design, and was built more like a fighter plane that a transport, or even a private jet.

 **"Dig?"**

 **"It's called the Tempest. Winston developed and built it over the past year as a means of quick escape and transport. No weaponry but plenty of defensive capabilities. Also, its practical inside, no fancy designs or anything of that sort."** My Ghost stated in my head.

I mentally nodded my impressment.

Anyway, back to the others, Winston was dressed up. Normally the thought of a Gorilla in a suit and tie would make me laugh or think I was high as a kite, but well, the dude pulled it off.

Angel, who was standing on the ramp of the ship talking to Terminator, was dressed in a tighter blouse with long black slacks and her hair down to her shoulders, far different from her usual ponytail. She sent me a neutral glance before returning to her conversation.

Sad that I have to refer to her as neutral, but hey at least she's not giving me the stink eye every five seconds.

The giant man, who I now knew was actually named Reinhardt, was also dressed in a slick suit, his hair combed and neat as he stood off to the side talking to the little man named Torbjorn, or more accurately the hobbit.

 **"I still wanna see what happens when you call him hobbit to his face."** Dig suggested, with what would've been a dangerous grin if he had a face.

"So…" I drawled out as we approached the Ape, "whats the plan?"

"Our lawyers will meet us at the summit and from there, we'll run through our plan of action again and how exactly we're going to prove your innocent along with our own, just with actual lawyers this time."

I nodded, "makes sense, think we'll still go in the same order?"

Tracer then spoke up, "why not? Having you speak first makes sense, have the weakest link speak first then back it up with more public and trustworthy faces to solidify the testimony."

It wasn't an insult, just a statement of fact.

And the fact was that to the world, I was a public menace. So, having me start, then having the others defend me after, would make our story seem slightly more plausible. At least in regards to me not being a menace and that I was trustworthy.

Big issue though was that we we're going to have to lie to the UN.

They couldn't know about Overwatch operating once more, cause if they did, well things wouldn't go well for everyone here.

I was partially confused as to why they were operating under the radar, and not just asking to be legally reinstated, but I didn't bother to ask.

Wasn't really my place to ask you know?

"All right," Winston raised his voice and stood a little taller as he looked over me, "everyone ready?"

I glanced around, and watched as the dwarf walked away with a curt farewell to Reinhardt, and the others simply walked closer to us so they could hear Winston.

"Mei? I did not know you v'ere coming along! V'hat a pleasant surprise!" The giant grumbled with a hefty smile.

The woman simply smiled sheepishly and replied, "well I couldn't let you have all the fun!"

Winston grumbled something with a playful smile, but I failed to actually hear whatever it was he said since Angel spoke up, "It'll be good to have you with us. Almost like old times."

Almost.

Of course there was accusation pointed at me behind the words, but who really gives a shit?

 **"You do."**

 **"No I don't."**

"So where's Lucio?" I asked, interrupting the friendly chatter, "and Hana for a matter of fact?"

I hadn't seen them yet, and was curious since they were, after all, our most promising testimonies regarding my innocence, Overwatches innocence and Talon's guilt.

"Already on board," Winston replied, "which is probably something we should do if we want to get there on time."

I shrugged, "lead the way."

And with that we boarded the ship.

Like Dig had said, it wasn't fancy, well not billionaire fancy, but it was better than your average plane. Or ship.

It had the usual seats, and windows, and even a few tables in-between said seats towards the front. A few TV screens were even sporadically placed about. Still, I studied the place, evaluating its combat potential and deciding that most of the seats and tables in here would provide shit cover in a firefight.

God forbid we get shot with any sort of AA batteries.

"Don't act like you've never flown before." Trace pipped up from behind me.

"Please," I replied, though she just snickered, and I saw Hana and Lucio sitting together at one table towards the front of the small plane.

I made my way towards them, and took the seat across the isle from them, facing a TV just in case I got really bored.

"Fancy meeting you two here." I stated with a smirk as I glanced at the the two and Tracer walked by to the cockpit.

You know when I first met her I wouldn't have placed her as a pilot, but lo and behold, she was one of the best pilots in the world.

Lucio, who was sitting on the isle seat scoffed in response to my greeting, "I know man! I thought this was a classy place."

"Ouch." Hana snickered from the side, her crutches leaning on her knees.

I laughed and shook my head.

It was good they were both joking again. It took Hana another two days before she was okay enough to start joking, which had taken me by surprise at first. Granted, I hadn't met her under prime circumstances, so it's not surprising that I was surprised to see her joking around.

"You ready for this?" I asked as our chuckling died down.

The DJ shrugged, "why not man? Nothing will ever be as nerve racking as my first live concert, so I am more than ready to speak in front of a bunch of old, cranky dudes and chicks."

I nodded, "same, except I've never had a live concert, and I probably suck at making music."

He shook his head, "nah man, don't knock it till you've tried! Hey, you could even be better than me! Who knows right?"

I saw Hana roll her eyes, "please, if his music taste is anything like his movie taste we'd probably go deaf."

"Rude." I huffed.

"Roast." Lucio chuckled as he leaned back in his chair. He slipped his headphones back on as the tell tale jerk of the planes engines powering up shook the seats.

I glanced back to see where the others sat, and saw the Angel and giant sitting together talking in hushed voices at the back, and Mei was talking to Winston about who knows what.

I turned and glanced out the window as the jet started to roar, and we climbed vertically, before shooting off with a jolt towards the hearing.

With a frown I leaned against the window and stared out to the clouds and sky.

I may seem carefree and completely neutral to this whole thing, but that was a facade in every sense of the word.

See, even when I was with Hana over thee past three days, or eating with some of the others like Mei and McCree, or even just hanging out with Lucio as he started therapy in regards to walking, Dig and I were doing everything we could to figure out what Talon's plan was.

Problem was we had no idea what they wanted.

It just didn't add up.

Why frame me?

Why go after Hana, and steal tech from Lucio?

What was it they could possibly gain from wiping out a small university in Germany and causing a ruckus in South Korea?

I sighed and glanced up at the roof.

Well, at the very least, I knew this hearing was going to be plenty interesting.

* * *

You know, considering the fact I'm an inter-dimensional immortal being, with powers and abilities that would allow me to kill hundreds if I really wanted too, I never expected to find myself in the middle of a court hearing with a bunch of stuck up, ass hat politicians.

Like seriously, I don't think a single person, or robot if I'm referring to some of the Omnic ambassadors, is a day under fifty.

Hell all their hair was gray! Even the Women! Not even Zavala or Cayde were old looking and they were decades older than anyone here!

"Mr. Drake?"

I blinked and with a sigh focused on the lawyer in front of me.

"What was the question again?" I asked, feigning interest as I stretched my legs out.

The… pew?… I was in was a mild brown, and it sat before the entirety of the United Nations, who were all seated in a half circle before me. There were interpreters, reporters, guards, even two specially armored guards who were apparently hired from some group called Helix Security to act as security, and plenty of others who I didn't know.

The room was domed and well lit. There were a few cameras in the back, and several photographers spread about. A long table, hosting the leaders of our prosecution plus their lawyers, was seated to front right.

Our table was to my front left, with our own lawyers and Hana's crutches laid against the side.

And right in the middle, was an array of judges, approved by the entire UN, from across the world who had sworn oaths to give a fair hearing and decide on what the verdict was to be regarding our prosecution.

The lawyer pushed up his glasses and cleared his throat before continuing, "I asked you about your relation to Ms. Song and Ms. Oxford?"

Ah yes.

The ass hats were trying to twist my version of events and discredit Tracers and Hana's stories before they even got a chance to testify.

Our lawyers had warned us about this. They figured that would be the UN's play, and if that didn't work, then they'd just try tricking us into admitting Overwatch was at fault, and was acting without permission and therefore violating the PETRAS act, not to mention that they were solely responsible for the damages done in Rio, Korea, and Germany.

Granted some of it was my fault, but I ain't gonna let them know that.

"Well we're friends." I replied scooting forward on my seat and leaning on my hand.

"Friends," the lawyer smiled, "do friends, kidnap one another and stab each other?"

I grinned, "I don't know, depends on what you're fighting about."

He pursed his lips and narrowed his gaze at me. He didn't like sarcastic answers, which is exactly why I kept giving him sarcastic answers, it threw him off his game whenever I replied to whatever he asked.

"Mr. Drake," the lawyer drawled out my fake last name, taking a few steps around the pew and glancing at Hana at our table before asking, "there is insurmountable video proof of you stabbing Ms. Song here in the lower abdomen, then taking her against her will. Can you explain why?"

I raised an eyebrow at him, "have you ever been in a firefight?"

He grew quiet as I continued, "because when you have been, then you can ask me that question again."

"Mr. Drake you are evading the question, please answer." One of the judges from the middle table spoke up, a woman with a low voice and wide shoulders. She ran her hand over her forehead and sighed after her comment.

I huffed and replied, "there was an assassin in side the building, like I said before, but he fired and took out one of her friends," I could see Hana look away, "then she charged in to find the attacker, but he blew himself up and so it looked like I was the only one there. She thought I was the attacker and chased me down and we fought. I stabbed her on accident and took her so I could tend to her wounds."

"Her wounds," The lawyer nodded, "why not take her to a hospital and explain your actions to the authorities?"

Shit.

I couldn't just state I was from an alternate reality with super advanced medicines that saved her life and now hospital could've! Argh!

"Like I said," my voice grew dark, "if you ever find yourself in a firefight, then come back and ask me."

"Why are you diverting my questions Mr. Drake? What is it you're hiding?"

"Objection," one of our lawyers stood up, "Mr. Hanson is trying to lead out client with questions unrelated to the hearing, that involve irrational judgement in the midst of a firefight."

The same judge form before, "Objection upheld, Mr. Hanson can you move on with the hearing? We are hear to discuss Overwatch's illegal operations. We will deal with Mr. Drakes other allegations later."

Great. Looks like I had another trial coming up soon.

I hate the UN.

"I apologize Mr. Drake." The man huffed, but the smile on his lips was unmistakable.

What the hell was he paying at….

He then continued, "a few weeks ago you were in South Korea," he motioned to the South Korean ambassador and their president who was also here, "and you caused quiet a ruckus yes?"

He was referring to that damned video with all of us on it.

Well, at least with myself and Angel. Tracer failed to mention if anyone else was on it.

"Yes." I replied, since I had to answer truthfully. I took an oath after all.

"Can you explain why former Overwatch operatives were involved?"

I hesitated, "well, I'm not apart of Over-"

"Which you stated before." He interrupted.

I frowned, "either way, no, not to mention I wasn't entirely sure why they were there."

"So you admit they were there in force and obviously under the jurisdiction of their former organization?"

"I haven't admitted anything." I replied.

"You said, you were not sure why they were there. By they we know you are referring to agents of Overwatch, now, why were they there? Any idea?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

I was silent, and thought about my response carefully before replying, "they were there to confront me about my fight with Hana, but never once was anything said or even implied that they were involved with Overwatch."

I think that was true… I honestly couldn't remember, so I'm not really lying or violating any oath.

"So they confronted you over a simple matter of kidnapping and nothing more?"

I pursed my lips and glanced to our lawyers. They nodded their heads, and I looked back to the man, "all right, well, no. They were after me, because I was after Talon."

Silence took over the room.

Ambassadors, Presidents, leaders from across the globe glanced at one another.

"Talon you say?" the man huffed, seemingly unconvinced. Damn, how much did the UN pay him to just blame us?

"Yes."

"And why were you after Talon? What do you have against them?" He asked.

Bastard was trying to pin me in a corner.

"Well," I growled, "considering that their agents routinely assaulted me and tried to kill Hana, I'd definitely say that these people," I nodded towards my table, "was simply acting in response to such threats."

"So these individuals were indeed acting to simply stop a terrorist organization, which was disbanded years ago?"

"Yes."

"And should the entirety of the UN place it trust in you about this? A man who attacked the very woman he claims Talon was after, and who fought the very agents he is trying to defend?"

Well fuck.

I closed my eyes and sighed, "yes."

"Hmm." He nodded, "no other questions."

Someone sighed and the room shifted, people and leaders talking amongst themselves, guards exchanging glances and the judges writing down on their notepads as I stood up behind the pew.

I glanced around, and unfortunately, saw nothing malicious.

Part of me had hoped Talon owed use some last ditch effort to take us down before the trial, just so we could reveal that they were really behind everything, but they were apparently smarter than that.

By the time I made it back to our table, a new prosecutor had stepped up, this one a skinny man with long legs and arms, his hair slick, and his eyes beady and calm.

He cleared his throat, loud enough for the room to hear, and raised his hands. The voices grew quiet. He glanced at our table, "the jury would now like to call Hana Song to the stand."

I frowned as I sat down, but turned, and gave a small smile to Hana.

She didn't returned it, eyes fixated upon the pew before she looked around at all the eyes on her.

For a famous gamer, you would've assumed she had more confidence in public speaking…

Then again, the past couple of weeks had been… hard, for her.

I sat back and crossed my arms as Hana stood up, her legs shaking ever so lightly.

Whether it was from exhaustion, her crutches, or her nerves, I didn't know.

Slowly she walked over to the pew, her hands tugging at the hems or her dress, a cute light blue and white colored dress, and sat down with a tall, straight back. She paused her lips and with a heavy breath, it was if all her nerves disappeared.

She glanced at our table and winked, a sly smile barley creeping onto her face.

"Ms. Song," the lanky man started as he clasped his hands behind his back, "can you tell me what exactly happened in Korea? When you were attacked by Nathaniel or Talon? Either one."

I narrowed my gaze.

She raised an eyebrow, "what does this-"

"It's relevant because we need first hand accounts of what happened to understand the circumstances of which Overwatch apparently acted upon."

The hell is this guy playing at?

 **"It's almost as if he's helping you…"** Dig voiced, obviously concerned.

 **"Weird…"** I replied in my head.

"Okay…" Hana nodded slowly, then continued, "well, the first time in Korea, we were marching in the Holiday parade, for Christmas and stuff, and someone shot Claire… I chased down the assassin, which I thought was Nate but he had recorded video from his camera that proved it wasn't him."

"And when exactly was this video shown to you?"

She frowned, "not till a few days after."

The man didn't miss a beat, "so are you saying that Mr. Drake decided to attack you rather than show you video proof of his innocence?"

"So much for helping me…" I growled in my mind.

She shook her head, "he tried talking me down. I just… I was emotionally compromised."

A deep breath lifted her chest and she blinked a few times.

I leaned forward on the table.

"So if you were emotionally compromised then, is it possible for you to be compromised now?"

She blinked. I blinked.

Our entire table shifted as Reinhardt narrowed his gaze and stared at the man with fire in his eyes.

"I…" she huffed, "no, i'm not emotionally compromised."

Again, the asshat didn't even hesitate, "Ms. Song are you aware of what Stockholm Syndrome is?"

Hana frowned, "yes."

"And are you aware that in certain, very extreme cases, it is possible for a captive to even convince themselves of false event simply because they fell in love with their captors and created a false history to justify why they took them?"

Well shit.

I knew this was gonna fucking happen.

Actually, we all did.

And we were prepared for it.

Hana straightened her back and sat tall before replying, "yes, but that's not the case. I had my chances to leave, and Dr. Ziegler even cleared me of any psychiatric problems."

"Are-"

"I'm not done," she hissed, her eyes burning into the man's skull, "and I never left, because someone wanted me dead. Have you ever had someone trying to kill you? Someone who's sending the worst of the worst after you to the point you have to run across the planet and rely on a complete stranger just to survive?"

The man didn't reply and stood still.

"I didn't think so." She huffed and sat back, her arms crossed.

"She got him." Dig chuckled.

I couldn't help the victorious smirk.

The man raised his hands, "I apologize if I offended you Ms. Song. It was not my intention, but I have to ask, do you believe Overwatches actions were justified? Or even Mr. Drakes? After all, it was you who was being hunted, not them."

Wait was he-

-she nodded, "they did what they had to do."

"So you admit they were acting as Overwatch agents and not as individuals?"

My grin died. Shit.

"I…" she grew wide eyed, but after a second calmed down and narrowed her gaze, "no, they weren't acting as agents of anything, just good people, just like heroes, you know the heroes you are trying to put in jail."

"Ms. Song-."

"No," she growled and suddenly she pushed herself up, grimacing as pain obviously shot through her still healing leg and I honestly had no idea what she was up to.

She took a deep breath, "you're trying to condemn former agents of Overwatch.. why? they saved the world! Sure Overwatch did some bad stuff a long time ago, but were any of these people involved?"

She motioned to us, "so why are you blaming them? They're helping people! Trying to at least, and the governments are trying to arrest them for it?" Her accent grew into her perfect English as she spoke, and she growled, " _Byung-shin-as!_ Just be happy someone's trying to stop Talon!"

I raised an eyebrow.

 **"She just called the UN a bunch of dumbasses,"** Dig muttered, **"girls' got balls."**

The man was still and glanced back to the prosecuting table. I saw the lead prosecutor shake his head.

The man cleared his throat, "no further questions."

Hana huffed and got down from the pew, making her way back to us with her crutches as the room once more resumed to move, the people talking and discussing Hana's testimony.

"Ms. Oxton, please come up to the stand." A loud voice pierced the others, and I scooted forward as Tracer slid past me and watched as Hana, walked right by our table, her breath slightly labored.

The room was still in commotion as Tracer walked up to the Pew, but my attention was on Hana.

"Hana?" I called, sitting up as she continued up the small incline and towards the doors in the back of the room.

"Hana?" I asked again, this time standing up only for the Angels voice to suddenly speak up from behind me, "Nathaniel sit please, we're needed here."

I gawked and looked at back at her in bewilderment. "Really?"

She rolled her eyes at me, "she's not going anywhere alone, Mei?"

The chinese woman, who was sitting between the Angel and Reinhardt blinked and turned to us as her name was called, "yes?"

The room started to grow quite as Tracers' questioning began and the Angel continued, "could you please go look after Ms. Song?"

Eyes behind glasses looked towards the back, and I shot a glance too as Hana still hobbled towards the back, a guard approaching before whatever she said made him nod softly then back off.

Mei frowned, "okay."

And with that she stood up, scooted by us, and followed after Hana.

Worriedly I looked back again and watched as Hana exited and Mei floated after her, everyone else eyes focused now on the testimony at hand.

"Is she okay?" I asked looking back at the Angel.

Pale skin and blonde eyes shook as she said, "she has PTSD. Most likely being in such a high stress environment is making her uncomfortable."

I frowned and the Angel turned back to the testimony, effectively ending our conversation.

I just hoped my friend was all right.

* * *

She couldn't breath. She couldn't see, all she felt was the cool air and the metal walls around her.

It was too much. It too much like that place, and that man… he kept pushing and pushing and… she just… she could only think of _his_ face…

She shivered and suddenly a hand grabbed her.

Her heart shot into her throat and she yelped, spinning on her heel only to lose balance and wobble on her crutches, panicking as the world started to spin!

But something steadied her.

Hana blinked as reality set in and her heart naturally calmed.

Warm brown eyes stared at her with concern.

"Are you okay _Nǚshì_ Song?"

She bit her lip and nodded, "I'm fine." She stood up straighter and glanced around, her eyes looking onto the restrooms.

The building they were in was a massive, UN funded skyscraper. It had at least forty stories on it, large glass pane windows decorated the outside, and steel beams held the monster together.

However the inside was different. The front lobby, which took up half of the first floor and was about thirty feet tall, had been comfy, with marble floors, wooden front desks with secretaries, a fountain in the middle, and dozens of tables and couches spread about for anyone was waiting.

The halls at the far end of the lobby lead to a series of rooms and offices that intersected with another couple of larger hallways that led to the large meeting room where they were at, and at the end of the halls, right before they led back into the maze of offices, were the restrooms.

But of course there were soldiers and guards spread all over the building, lining halls, patrolling the sidewalks outside, and guarding certain offices with sensitive information throughout.

Nate had said something regarding over protective but whatever he specifically said was lost on her

All she wanted was some water.

And so Hana started towards the restroom, her eyes fixated on the fountains before it.

She could hear the steps of Mei behind her, and knew the woman had been sent to keep an eye on her.

Honestly, it annoyed her.

It's not like she was gonna hurt herself! Sure she had awful dreams, and her memories sometimes reminded her of the Conductor and that man… but overall, she knew she was okay now.

No need for anyone to be so over protective of her!

She reached the fountains, and after a moment of adjusting so she could lean forward, pressed the button and let the water flow.

Her lips connected with the cool stream and she took joy in the simple task of just drinking water.

 _Thunk_.

She blinked, her joy interrupted and her thoughts coming to a screeching halt.

What was that sound?

She looked down the hall to her right, back towards the three sets of wooden double doors that led to the meeting room.

All the guards were there, all eight, two which were even talking.

She looked to her left at the end of the hall.

There had been guards here before.

She remembered them.

Where were they?

"Weren't there guards here earlier?" She asked softly, glancing behind her at Mei.

The woman narrowed her eyes and looked past her, then repeated her actions of looking at the guards then back to the end of the hall.

"I can't remember…" The woman replied, her head tilting slightly as she tried to think.

Hana pursed her lips and started forward into the intersection their current hall led into. She looked left, and right, down the two perpendicular halls where there had been four soldiers before two on each…

Her eyes went wide.

There was not a soul in either hall. Nothing but the doors, walls, floors, or tiles.

She looked back, at the soldiers at the doors.

Then back into the halls.

Surely they would've known if something happened? They had comms and had to report in and… after a years in the military she knew that they had to have some sort of communications and check in set up!

Then why did she feel so wrong?

Why was her sixth sense suddenly starting to ring and burn in her chest…

She licked her lips in anticipation.

Was something wrong?

* * *

I held my head in my hand and stared boredly at the wall behind Tracer's pew.

As expected she was able to weasel her way out of any questions the prosecution threw at them, and had even managed to throw Talon under the rug even better than either me or Hana had.

Of course it wasn't really surprising since it seemed like Hana had nothing to do with any sort of lawsuits before this and as for me… well lawsuits aren't common in the Last City since we have WAY more important things to deal with.

I rubbed my eye and glanced around.

Most of the delegates were interested though I could tell the guards were bored.

Just another day babysitting for them so it seemed.

You know I wonder if any of them placed bets on what would happen. Sometimes as Guardians we placed bets on how many times someone would die in a certain firefight, or what team would win in the crucible.

My biggest win actually came one time from-

One of the guards perked up and reached for his ear.

From such a distance I couldn't see his face but…

I looked closer.

He suddenly started towards one of the people in the advanced suits or armor.

He stopped before them and if his body language was anything to go off of then-

 **"Nate."**

Dig's voice wasn't warm.

 **"What is it?"**

 **"The intersections, both of those in front of this building just got shut down, one for construction the other had a semi truck flip."**

I kept my eye on the guards and the advanced one in blue and gold, nodded to their compatriot and walked out the doors.

 **"Please tell me nothing else happened?"**

 **"I don't know but… two soldiers on the roof stop responding for about five point six minutes."** He informed me.

 **"Why's that a problem?"** I asked, suddenly feeling my fighting senses… the instincts that tell something very bad is about to go down, started tingling.

 **"Because according to UN security regulation they're supposed to check in every two minutes."**

I felt the weight of Last Word appears under my suit coat.

 **"Let me guess… this is bad?"**

* * *

Hana stepped forward, venturing into the empty hall, as her sixth sense stared to wail.

Something was definitely wrong down here.

What was it!

"Hana, I believe we should go back. The other might be worried." Mei voiced from behind her.

She just ignored the woman.

For a moment she wished she had a gun but… well, who would've actually let her walk in here with a gun?

At least the air was clear and-

She froze and sniffed the air.

Iron.

Why did the air smell like iron?

* * *

I felt my hand twitching as I looked around.

The guards were growing antsy, and the one who had apparently answered his com before had been talking-to someone for the past two minutes straight.

What was-

"Nathaniel."

I blinked and looked at Angel, her eyes narrowed at me with both concert and suspicion, "is everything all right?"

I looked around and-

My eyes locked with that of one of the prosecutors.

With Mr. Hanson.

"Nate… The power in the lobby just shut off… I have no idea what's going on."

"I do…" And as I looked into his eyes…

I saw it.

Nothing.

How had I not seen it before!

"Shit!"

I stood, Last Word drawn in less than a second, and I aimed, but it was too late.

Mr. Hanson leapt across the table, and in an instant its hand transformed and a bolt of energy flew out.

Someone screamed.

I fired.

* * *

Hana spun on her heel, somehow managing to stay upright.

"What was that?" She asked, and she heard the soldiers from around the corner starting to yell then-

 _Rat ta at ata ta ta ta!_

She instinctively ducked even though no bullets actually flew near her. She looked and suddenly Mei was pushing down her dress, a strange blue and white weapon in her hand.

"Wait here!" Mei ordered, her normally calm voice now flustered and agitated. She turned the corner and immediately she ran back towards the meeting room.

Not for a second did Hana hesitate but she stared to hobble when something told her to turn around.

She spun around again and-

 _Wham_!

Her vision went black and she hit the ground hard, her skull banging off it with a very audible thunk!

She blinked and shook her head to clear her vision of the black spots.

Someone then kneeled over her…

It was a woman.

Dark skinned, a half shaved head with dark hair wrapped over the other side and a thick dark purple suit over her body.

She lowered down, her hand coming up and tracing over Hana's lips.

But Hana was sick of this shit.

So despite her leg being in a cast field with nanites, she thrust her knee upward and slamming it directly into the back of the woman.

She didn't stop there even as the woman muttered something in a language she didn't know. She quickly scrambled to where one of her crutches had fallen and grabbed the end of it, before using the entirety of her body to swing around and-

 _Whack!_

The end of the crutch connected with the woman's face, who had apparently been a lot closer than Hana thought.

She didn't know how long the blow would disorient the woman.

Her heart pounded with adrenaline and she started towards her second crutch, scrambling and pushing up on her bad leg to-

Pain erupted through her leg as a foot slammed into it and possibly re-fracturing her bone!

She cursed and fell to the ground, rolling onto her back to face her attacker.

A foot, stepped on her chest, the heel of her shoe digging into Hana's gut.

The woman wiped a speck of blood from her lip and grinned.

She looked down at Hana.

"Pobrecita, Song."

* * *

Pharrah spun on her heel as the sound of gun fire erupted from the back halls. Her eyes went wide and she activated her comms, "delta report!"

Static.

She growled, "Echo, move in and secure the front of the meeting area! Zeta what's you-"

"Look out!" A voice screamed and she instinctively activated her jump jet, launching herself to the roof of the lobby.

 _rat ta taat at at ta ta tand rat!_

 _Bang! Bang! Bang!_

 _Boom!_

She looked down as gunfire erupted around the lobby, civilians and soldiers dropping like flies form all around.

 _Boom!_

The front glass doors suddenly exploded in a shower of sparks and fire and Black masks with red eyes poured through.

Her eyes went wide as she floated mid air, "all sectors, secure your ambassadors and floors! Anyone who's not fighting get down to the lobby now!"

And with that the legendary Captain fired her rockets, and launched herself straight into the jaws of battle.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Hey guys! So its been a damn while, and I'm real sorry about that! Life's been busy and kicking my butt, but I graduated college and have an interview tomorrow! Let's hope that goes well!**

 **Anyway! I posted at the beginning of this chapter about an important A/N… It's sort of related to this story. I'll explain how in a bit.**

 **Okay so for the past week I've been reading fic's on here, and I really recommend "the Life of Hana Song" cause its a neat take on how came to be despite the fact it's not necessarily follow the canon of Overwatch, but! My point is, I've been inspired to write a new story…**

 **However I don't want to write five new stories and have them all fail cause that'd be discouraging and also I don't want to take away toooooooo much time form this fic. SOOOOO I decided to make a poll for this… I'm going to explain my ideas to you guys and I would really appreciate if you vote which story you would actually like to read about, and whichever one wins I'll write! Heck you can even suggest an OC and who knows! ;) maybe I'll wrote your OC in! Okay so here it goes:**

 **Story 1: D'va** **, or Hana?**

 **This story would be about , about Hana Song and how exactly she came to be into Overwatch. It would start with the canon story, how she's drafted at the age of 19 into the Korean Military and how her life unfolds form there, till, and after she's drafted by Overwatch, and all the consequences of that. It's similar to the Life of Hana Song, but it'll be a lot different cause it'll follow canon as well as I can, but it'll follow the tone of this story in how dark and happy it can be.**

 **Story 2: The Games to end all.**

 **This would be a multiverse crossover. How would it work? Well it would involve characters from at least 12 universes. For example, the Avengers (at least some), Overwatch agents, RWBY characters, Wynonna Earp characters, Halo characters, maybe Harry Potter characters, and who knows what else would be involved. It would be a series of games that revolves around the fate of their respective universes because; only one universe can survive… but is there a darker secret being hidden?**

 **Story 3: The Hunters, become the Hunted.**

 **In this one the greatest hunters of all time, Predator, have set their sights on a group of students from a certain academy… teams RWBY and JNPR…. or at lets what remains of them. Will they survive or will Predator claim a new skull for its trophies?**

 **Story 4: The journey of the Angel and the Cyborg.**

 **This story would be about Mercy and Genji. It would focus on they riles after the fall of Overwatch, what led Genji to forgiving his brother and the events of the Dragons cinematic, and for Mercy it would go about what happened to the prestigious doctor after Overwatch and her fall from grace with the international community.**

 **So thats all the stories! Pleas, please vote! I really want to know which you guys, the readers, would like to read about!**

 **Back to the story! So Talon's obviously now on the move, making their play at the UN hearing. Sombra's obviously involved, snap now Pharah has made her debut. Hana is obviously still a badass despite being at a disadvantage, broken leg and all, and Nate realized too late what was happening.**

 **But what has Talon got planned that they're so confident to attack a UN hearing with dozens of trained soldiers including Helix security forces, Overwatch agents, and Nate who's been causing them a whole lot of trouble?**

 **One impostor obviously isn't gonna be enough… so what's their play?**

 **Reviews:**

 **Hamhjolf Stormcrown: Thanks dude! It's fun to write and any romance won't start till the next part.**

 **mr guy: okay? whatever. Bye :)**

 **Guest: You are correct! It was Sombra!**

 **Is sombra evil: I think Sombra's more of an anti hero, but she's obviously using Talon for her own gains so we'll see what her real play is eventually.**

 **Weeby Physicist: You're talking about when Nate falls on his sparrow form he skyscraper right? Yeah, you're right. Didn't really think it through…**

 **Guest: Haha I like good old curb stomping too, but did I ever say he was the only guardian to be apart of this story? ;) We still have three parts to go after this one! Who knows what awaits in the future.**

 **H20 Ferrum Dominus : Haha thanks man! There was some fun at the beginning of this chapter, but more fluff and fun will be in the next part. This is just kind of chaotic because Nate was randomly, with no plan of his, thrown into the mess that is the overwatch world and well, chaos ensued.**

 **A fan: Each part is a story arc. So we'll have four story arcs, and 1 is almost done, with only one chapter left. Thanks anyway!**

 **Highlord: Well, I'm assuming after the Omnic war and Overmatches fuck up, they have more power than they do in current times, so their threats are more viable than in life.**

 **Guest: How do they not express it in the same way? Cayde and Zavaka do?**

 **Guest: Part two will be in this story. total story will be about… 60… chapters?**

 **The-pomftato932: The second part will still be in this story. Yeah, Mercy is a big pacifist and Nate is very open to killing and even torture, so… they're not going to be very good friends… yet…**

 **General zod: Tracer knew he was in Berlin so it didn't shock her he was hurt, plus she knows he's immortal. Angela couldn't see it because it was covered by his shirt.**

 **halo is bad ass: It's the problem that they are in fact, pretty advanced but Nate though stealthy has been just running and gunning for a while. Most of the time he's not trying too hard to hide.**

 **korrd: oh the UN sucks and it's definitely a publicity stunt.**

 **Sneky: Oh not even close. She'll meet her match.**

 **Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this! Some of your questions may have been answered in reviews, but if you have more don;t be afraid to PM me!**

 **God bless and take care guys!**

 **-Metal4k**


	15. Chapter 15

**The Darkest Knight**

 **Part I: The Reforming of Overwatch**

 **Chapter 15: Doomfist**

* * *

Bullets.

Screams.

Terror.

 _Now!_

I dove to the side as a lance of energy flashed over head, my helmet and armor simultaneously flashing a bright white as they appeared on me.

Last Word barked off three more shots, and Mr. Hanson expertly dodged; which of course I had expected.

So as he landed with a crouch, Sol power wrapped around my free hand and I twisted and fired my Golden Gun under my arm.

The light powered round sunk into its forehead and it immediately disintegrated it a flash of golden ash.

I spun again on my heel, this time facing the sound of more gunshots.

Both to my surprise, and utter discontent, were guards firing on other guards, ambassadors cowering, ambassadors killing with surprising speed, and then there were the Overwatch agents, fighting with whatever weapons they had grabbed against what seemed to be a losing battle.

Bodies from the surprised guards, those who hadn't been bought out or replaced, littered the floor and dozens of ambassadors were bloodied and-

 _Bang!_

My shields flashed and I fired a round in between the eyes of a guard who was aiming for Tracer.

His head blew open like a pinata, but instead of candy, it was his brains that splattered everywhere.

Without further adieu, I blinked forward, and wrapped my arm around the neck of an ambassador from South America. He was holding a knife, his blade poised to stab another ambassador, from china I think, in the back.

A quick twist of my arm ended his life.

His personal guards, who had been attending to the death of two other ambassadors and their personal aids, turned to me.

There were three in total, and in the big room they were having so much fun with guns smoking and just wasting anybody they could.

Of course, two of their lives ended the moment they turned to me, Last Word ripping out one mans throat and my knife embedding itself in anothers' chest cavity.

I ducked as the third guard turned to me and fired. His bullets missed for a second, but at such a close range he adjusted his aim even as I dashed him.

A few rounds hit me, barely affecting my shields as I surged forth with arc and slammed the light powered blade into his forehead. His body convulsed and his eyes rolled back before he too disintegrated in a flash of white sparks.

A slow breath left my lips, time slowing as I set my eyes on my next target; another soldier who had just gunned down five people from the Middle Eastern ambassadors.

My weapon raised to eye level and I pulled the trigger. A shot barked out.

His life ended.

Then instinct screamed at me.

Immediately I jumped back, only for a lance of energy to fill the void of where I had just stood. I spun and fired at the ambassador from Russia, a blonde woman with green eyes, and a hand turned to a blade ignited with red energy.

My first round bounced off her, or it, and my second hit its weapon, scratching the metal at the very least.

It lunged at me, and I shadow stepped to my left, a void cloud filling the air and only increasing the screams and fear.

I put Last word on my hip.

Arc power surrounded my right arm, "Dig, any way regular firearms can break this asshole in two?"

I was worried about everyone else in here. The ambassadors and soldiers wouldn't stand a chance against these things with their guns, and who knows how many there were.

"Fuck, give me a sec, someones trying to overcome the security protocols I put in place just in case something like this happened. They're fucking good, but not unstoppable." He replied in a grumble over the Comms.

Well shit.

I ducked under another lance of energy and blinked at it, my arc blade aimed for its chest in a move to short circuit it.

The impostor threw up its forearm, blocking my blade from entering its chest but still allowing it to sink into its metal plated arm. I growled as I heaved forward, wrapping one arm around its and pulling forward only so I could knee it in the gut.

It barley recoiled and instead drove its own weapon into my gut and fired away.

My shields blared and I blinked up, Raze Lighter appearing on my back.

It was the one thing I hadn't used against it, but if Golden Gun had the power to vaporize one, then my hypothesis was that my blade would at least harm it.

Any sort of attack from my regular guns barely hurt it.

It looked up at me as the battle raged around us.

I grabbed my blade mid air, and with a roar used my booster to launch myself downward in a terrifying spin.

In less than a second I reached the impostor, and my blade of light met its own sword of energy.

Too bad a fully powered slash from Raze Lighter was almost unstoppable, and in such a close quarters area... well, this time, there was no room for it too dodge, and even its sword couldn't stop such an overpowered attack.

It melted through the metal, and continued on down, ripping the impostor in two with a super heated strike.

I landed on one knee, the weight of my armor cracking the floor as ash filled the air.

The battle had slowed, and I saw a soldier aiming his weapon at another ambassador, this one with dead guards surrounding him.

I drew Last Word.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A voice called out from behind me, and I knew that statement was aimed at me.

I held my aim, and glanced back.

Angela was being held at knife point, a blade already coated in blood at her throat and blood openly leaking from her side.

My eyes glanced at her captor, and to my genuine surprise... it was one of our lawyers.

Jessica Cransworth.

A tall, blonde woman with the frame of an amazon. She had been shy and even cute when we talked to her. But she was one of them.

Talon.

I kept my weapon raised and from behind the safety of my visor I swept the entire room.

The fighting had all but stopped. Guards stood with weapons pointed at other soldiers, who were still with their hands raised, other had their weapons pointed at ambassadors, and five had their weapons aimed the agents of Overwatch.

Reinhardt was standing in front of a few rep's from Europe, his body between them and several soldiers weapons. The giant ape was at the far end of the room, his hands slightly bloodied, and his suit tron from around his arms, a younger woman, clutched in his arm and against his frame. Lucio was against a table, holding his side with another guard pointing a rifle at his head.

Their eyes were on our lawyer, burning holes into her back.

But of course there was still one person fighting.

 _Whack!_

Tracer's foot connected with a guards chin, and his head snapped back with a pop, either breaking his neck, or recoiling so hard he was knocked the hell out. Either way he fell to the ground.

She spun on her heel and saw us.

Her eyes grew wide and she froze.

I saw her eyes glance to me and I slightly shook my head.

We were fast, but no nearly fast enough to keep Jessica from slicing Angels throat clean open. Sure I may not see eye to eye with the woman but I didn't want her dead.

My voice steadied, I asked, "what do you want?"

"Drop your weapons and kick them over here."

I gulped and in my head spoke, "Dig, give me something we can use."

"I've got nothing. We have shooters with fucking fifty cals in the buildings across the street. They're keeping swat and police at bay. The Militarizes been mobilized and are moving in but they're about thirty minutes out. You've got to hold out for at least that long."

I slowly bent over and placed Last Word on the ground.

" **Reinforcements?"**

" **The lobby's a warzone with Talon and every other security personal from the first floor and outer perimeter, and in floors six, ten, and eleven. Floors three through five are under Talon control, and the rest of the first floor aside from the lobby is under lock-down with talon agents rooting out any survivors of the first wave. They even took out the military escort outside with really well placed time bombs. "**

" **So then why aren't we dead?** " I asked as I kicked my gun towards Jessica.

"The sword too." She nodded.

I grabbed my sword and tossed it to the side.

"What do you want?" I asked out loud, turning to face Jessica. "Why all of this?"

She didn't reply and instead glanced back behind me.

The doors opened and suddenly Talon agents rushed in, but not with weapons. With bodies. With Omnic bodies and a few humans that I failed to recognize, but from the gasp Angel made even with a knife to her throat, I think she recognized some of them.

The agents started placing bodies sporadically throughout. Weapon in hands, knives in others, and then started carrying out certain ambassadors, at least a few of the living ones.

Why Omnics? They were finally making peace, so why try to... just...

Why plant false...

My eyes grew wide.

"Holy crap..." I whispered as it finally hit me.

They didn't just want me dead, or Hana, or even Overwatch.

They wanted to start another war.

And replace the UN with themselves.

* * *

A hand wrapped around Hana's throat and the woman hoisted her up. The woman traced a long nail across her face, the sharp edge lightly scratching her as a dangerous grin spread over the womans face.

"Now, now what to do with you?"

But before Hana could retort anything, and before the woman could continue speaking, a dark shadow filled the hall.

The light faded as smoke and shadow twirled and weaved around the walls, seeping from the roof and the floor.

Tendrils twisted around her and she felt cold as a white mask appeared from the dark.

The woman grimaced and narrowed her gaze as the mask inched itself closer to her.

"Stop playing, and get to work. Leave the corpse for me."

The white mask disappeared into the shadows, and the darkness seeped further down the hall, turning towards the UN meeting room and Hana felt the warmth of her body suddenly return as the shadows vanished and light returned.

With a small grin the woman yanked Hana forward, the mekka pilots' feet dragging against the tiled floor as she struggled to break free of the womans grip. Her grip only tightened and Hana tried to call out, but with gunshots still ringing out from the lobby, and the grim reaper thing headed towards the UN meeting, she doubted anyone would be listening for her.

She scrunched up her face, pulling her body closer to her face, and managed to slip enough in the womans grip that she was able to open her mouth and -

"Ow! Cabrona!" The woman hissed, releasing Hana for a moment, only for her free hand to grab the gamer by the hair and yank her forward.

Hana cursed as her handler yanked a door open, and with mumbled curse, shoved her inside.

Her broken leg gave out and she collapsed on the ground, barely managing to turn and see the cleaning supplies of the closet as the woman smiled and started to close the door, the light fading as she did so.

But the woman stopped and with a sly smile said, "remember who your friends are chica."

Then the door closed.

"No!" Hana surged forth, slamming her fists against the door, but without her leg she knew she'd have no way of getting enough traction or proper footing to have any hope of breaking out.

But that didn't stop her from trying.

And so she pounded and pounded on the door.

She yelled and her voice grew hoarse, but of course no one heard her.

She blinked and looked around, though in the dark it was hard to see. The room was large enough to move around and she knew no one else was in it besides her.

Then there was a flash.

"And now that I'm here in- Hana?"

She blinked as the floating form of Dig filled her sight.

"Dig?"

The Ghost floated higher and his parts twirled.

"The one and only. Now... why exactly are you in a closet?"

* * *

"Cover fire!"

"Watch ou-"

 _Boom!_

Pharrah dove to the ground, her ears ringing, but she didn't stay still. Her armor shot her up into the air and she unleashed three rockets from her weapon at the entrenchment of Talon soldiers who were holding out near the front doors.

The rockets hit, and two Talon soldiers went flying, their bodies charred and cover in debris.

Immediately the front line of Talon agents turned to her and fired. Bullets soared by her, one ricocheted of her armor and she was forced to cut the jet, letting gravity take over as she fell back behind the large fountain she was using for cover.

"Gamma," she called out, her accent barley distorting the English, "we need to break that central line! How much ammo do you have left?"

It took a second, and she glanced around her cover and looked to the far side of the lobby where five other security guards were holding out behind a glassed off area, where the first floors security had initially been based.

All that initial security was dead now though.

Wiped out in the first wave.

"I got only two clips each, Andersons' got one and Marques is down to his sidearm. Roblo's injured, and Narissas- shit!"

 _Rat ta ta tta ata ta!_

The Egyptian fell to the ground as more bullets rained on her position and she watched in horror as the fountain was cut in two.

Heavy weapons.

In such close quarters, she was at a severe disadvantage.

"This is fireteam Nostrodom on level five. We've cleared the area. Captain Amari whats the sit rep downstairs?"

She cursed and glanced around the fountains base.

It was a sixty cal. It was big and it was turned too the group of security holding out behind the counters of the small cafe area to the far left of her.

"Foxtrox get out of there!" She ordered, but it was too late.

The massive rounds ripped into the cafe and she could hear the screams as the team was ripped to shreds. The machine gun stopped firing and she watched for a moment as the Talon agents began to reload it.

Of course those who weren't reloading saw her and fired on her position.

She was forced down again, and pressed her body down to the ground, praying that the foundation of the fountain would hold.

But she knew the battle was lost in the lobby. They didn't have the ammo, the positioning, or the firepower to deal with the amount of agents and damage Talon was dishing out.

They had to retreat.

"Captain Amari are you-"

"Everybody, tactical withdrawal to the fifth and seventh floors of the building! We need to form a defensive line and make our next move from there!"

She grunted as she hoist herself up, looking to the furthest end of the lobby where the hallways of the first floor started.

"This is the Russian team! Ve are taking fire on the seventh f'oor! It is not under our control vet!" A man spoke in reply to her order. It didn't matter though, they had to get out of the lobby.

"Gamma, I'm going to give you cover! Fall back!" She roared and she launched herself back into the air, her eyes set on the massive machine gun aimed for her.

Her mother never shied away from a fight, especially when it came to saving others.

She wouldn't either.

Her teeth grit and her armor alarms blared as compartments opened up all around and her weapon fell from her hand.

"For justice..."

And justice did indeed rain from above.

* * *

Mei grunted as she was shoved against a wall, pistol aimed at her head.

"Can I kill the eco-loving bitch yet?" A husky voice ask from behind a black mask.

Another Talon operative pushed him away, shaking his head, "nah. Boss says we need her alive for now. Something about keeping hostages in case this whole thing blows south."

"Hmph," the first operative replied, lowering his weapon, "bitch iced two of my boys."

"Yeah well tough shit," the second replied, returning to his post at the front of the room, his back against a wall as he guarded the door.

Whatever else they said was lost upon the environmentalist, as she simply looked around and craned her neck to see who else was in the room.

A few people that looked like custodian crew for the building, and a few others that looked like random civilians, but of course she wasn't too involved in the politics of the world so there could've been a famous ambassador here and she wouldn't have ever known.

"So how much longer till they get that shit done?" One of the men spoke up, twirling his rifle over his back.

Now if only the other operative lowered his guard for a second...

"No idea, but they'll off everyone in the room once they're done. We'll know when we hear the shots."

The other man grunted something unintelligible.

Mei gulped as she felt her ever noble robot twitch against her back. She had hid him well, and lucky for her that he had been here. He was her only means of escaping now.

And if these guards were right... then she didn't have much time.

* * *

"So how exactly did you end up in here?"

"Trying to focus, Dig."

"Focus, pokus. I'm bored, just tell me."

Hana glared at the floating computer as she tied together two mops and grabbed the can of air freshener from behind her. She started to spray it on the mops then replied to Dig, "well some woman came out of no where and took me down. Even saw the Reaper, he was headed that way too. No idea why she left me alive though. "

"Well damn... at least I know now its not just the meeting room."

She raised an eyebrow as she stopped spraying and felt to see if the mops were damp with freshener. They were and she asked, "what happened?"

"Looks like a coup, but not entirely sure. It's currently a hostage situation in there and without being able to access the cameras in this place I can only guess whats going on in the rest of the building, but according to the outside news, its not pretty."

" _Ji-ral_ _..._ " she huffed, and tossed the mops into a mop bucket that she had found between the first and second shelves of the closet. With a sigh she tossed the air freshener, the fourth cans worth which was accompanied by both Clorox and bleach, into the bucket and grabbed the candle lighter from her in between her thighs.

She huffed as she grabbed the fire blanket and pushed herself to the furthest corner of the room, wrapping the blanket over her and igniting the lighter.

Dig floated closer to her, "so explain to me your plan again..."

"Blow the door, save the UN."

"Isn't this-"

She tossed the lighter at the mop bucket and slung the blanket over her head.

There was a second of pause.

"Hana, is it supposed to-"

 _Boom!_

She felt the force of the explosion thrust her against the wall, and she grit her teeth, as pain shot through her leg and right side where she hit against the wall.

 _Bweep! Bweeep!_

The shrill sounds of fire alarms blared through the room, and if she guessed right probably the hall beyond, so with a grunt she pushed the fire blanket off her, and almost cheered as she saw the door, and a good chunk of the wall blown open thanks to her chemical creation.

"You know, you're lucky you're small and had that stupid blanket in there." Dig growled with a twirl as he reappeared next to her.

"Don't really care, Dig," She huffed, grabbing the back of a mop she broke to use as a makeshift crutch.

It was awkward, but she somehow managed to stand and hobbled her way to the new opening she had created, "whats the status of the meeting room?"

"Hana..."

"Look, someone's gotta break them free." She huffed, in annoyance.

The ghost sighed, "look if you were one hundred percent with your mech, I wouldn't doubt you." He twirled once, "but you're not. You're hurt, and you have nothing to protect you from getting shot, not to mention you don't have a gun."

She frowned.

"But, you could help me another way."

She raised an eyebrow, "talk."

"Okay, so when all this shit started someone managed to lock me out of all the the cameras and security systems. From a distance I can't break in. Well, more accurately I can't break in with enough time to help Nate and the others. If you get me to the buildings base of security I can break in in ten seconds flat."

"And where is this... security base?"

"Oh you know, the ninth floor, which Talon controls."

Hana sighed and blew a strand of hair out of her face.

"Why don't you just pop in yourself?" She asked, hobbling her way across the hall, and a little further away from her blast sight.

The ghost looked both ways, "One, because if I die, no one can revive Nate. Two, I'm the one piloting the ship our reinforcements are on, three-"

"I get it," D'Va snapped, "but why me?"

"Well you have traces of light on you from when you used Last Word, and so I transmatted in to the nearest light source that wasn't Nate in hopes it was another Guardian, since only Guardians have that. Again, I was hoping it was another Guardian, but it was you."

"Thanks, but what's a Guardian?"

"Hey its a good thing that I found you! You're at least useful! And well, a guardian is..."

His voice trailed of slightly and she frowned.

"Don't lie to me, Dig."

"Look, its nothing. Just know that if I channel the residue light, the uh... stuff that gives Nate power, you have on you, I can basically buff your body for a few hours. Should give you enough to get me to the room, problem is, I can't trasmat out once I do that, so you have to keep me alive or we're all fucked up a creek."

She sighed again.

In her current state, he was right, but if she got the buff, they could secure the security base, plus she would hopefully have enough strength to help out the meeting room.

But why did Dig, need the cameras?

But before she could ask, the Ghost glowed, and suddenly she felt her leg pop, the pain fading and her heart started racing.

Tears filled her eyes and she gasped, grasping at her chest and hair as her substitute crutch clattered to the ground.

" _Nimiral_!" She cursed.

"Language." Dig chastised, but she didn't bother to reply.

She felt... amazing!

"What the hell-"

"Like I said, a light buff, no pun intended."

"Light?" She narrowed her eyes at him, referring to whatever he said he was channeling into her.

"Same stuff that makes Nate immortal and shit."

Her lips pursed. "Nate didn't get his powers from chemicals did he?"

The Ghost simply floated still before replying, "look, we'll talk about it after saving the UN?

She pursed her lips, but the machine had a point. "Fine, why do you need the cameras? And why can't I just go in save them?"

With her newfound strength she grabbed her makeshift crutch and started down the hall, away from the meeting room and towards where she had seen an elevator earlier.

Unfortunately she turned the corner right into the chest of two Talon soldiers.

"Huh?" One of the guards blinked.

She blinked. "Hi?"

Both guards went to lift their guns.

But Hana was faster. She wasn't one of the best gamers in the world for her poor reaction time.

Her hands carried her crutch forward, at an angle aimed right for the right guards knee. Her blow hit, but it did more than she bargained for, and her strength snapped the mans joint in two, throwing him to the side and knocking the second guard over.

She stumbled, her attack carrying more momentum than expected. She had aimed to simply to throw the mans balance off then tackle him down, not shatter his knee cap.

However, she capitalized on the moment and dashed forward, her heel snapping against the uninjured guards head and knocking him out against the wall. The injured guard reached for a side arm but she threw herself at him

Her hand grasped the handle of the side arm, and she planned for her lesser strength, preparing to give him ground then reverse his momentum, when instead she actually ripped the gun from his hands and fell back.

She blinked, the weapon now properly in her grip and stood up.

The Talon agent raised their hands.

But all she saw was the man from the base.

And her fear, and his hands, and his-

 _Bang!_

She lowered the gun as the agent's body slumped to the ground. She gripped the weapon tighter and after sparing one glance to the dead and unconscious guard, continued on her path.

Dig simply followed behind as he spoke, "well, um, nice work, but uh as per your last question missy, even if you went to help, I'd still be down a person to help me out, and Talon has control of about ninety percent of the building. Also, you'd probably be sentencing Angel face to death."

"Angel face?"

"Uh, Dr. Zieglar. They have her as a hostage, so if you went in guns blazing-"

She growled, "I get it."

Dig simply floated higher, "okay, we need the cameras so I can relay info to both our reinforcements and the authorities for whenever they send in their swat teams. I'm already in contact with them about the plan."

She gaze him a flabbergasted look before she peaked around another corner. It was empty.

"I told them I was a discreet hacker working for one of the ambassadors."

With a shrug she barreled down the hall and to the elevators, Dig zipping behind her and she hit the up button. She glanced down the hall then made sure no one was following before looking at the Ghost.

He beat her to the punch and stated, "and if you're gonna ask about reinforcements, well let's just say that a robot built for war, a cyborg, a dwarf, and a fucking cowboy better be enough or we're shit out of luck."

"Well," She huffed, "hopefully Nate can keep the rest alive till they get here."

With a ding the elevator doors opened and she stepped in.

Dig followed and stated, "Hana, if I told you half the shit he's done, you'd probably blow a gasket."

"Try me." A small smirk graced her lips.

The ghost sighed.

* * *

I just stood still, my hands at my sides and my muscles twitching with anticipation. The Talon agents moved about and, if their body language was anything to go by then they were almost done with the set up.

" **Nate, Grim Reapers in the building, and Hana's going to got me all AV in the building back, I used some residue light on her to buff her strength and heal her leg temporarily."**

" **Residue light?"** I asked, my body still as the operatives continued around me.

" **Yeah, no idea that was possible, but I'm assuming its from the fact you've spent a lot of time around her and she used Last Word."**

" **But that doesn't make any sense, I've been around enough people before and only Guardians have ever had light. What the hell?"**

" **Look I don't know yet, I'm focused on our current situation. We can figure out the weirdness of this all later."**

Well... he had a point. **"Agreed, so whats the plan?"**

" **Hana's gonna get me the AV back, and backup's on the way. They're nineteen minutes, thirty two seconds out."**

" **Good."** I huffed back in my head. **"I'll try to keep all our guys alive till then."**

Well at least the good guys.

I had to buy us time.

"So you take over the world, then what? Cry some more about how unfair your life is?" I asked with a frown.

Our old lawyer only smirks at me, "please. As if we're so simple minded."

"Could've fooled me."

When she didn't take the bait I continued, "you realize the moment you kill Angela, I'll rip you apart limb from limb right?"

She glanced at me, and I fully turned to her.

"I've always been good with knives. I had the best aim amongst my friends. I always knew just where to stab an enemy, and the best part? I know how to make it hurt."

For dramatic effect I let flames lick my hands.

She growled, "well at least they'll all be-"

"Dead?" I finished for her. I stepped forward and instinctively she took a step back, the knife against Angela's throat pushing deeper against her skin, "of course, but are you sure you can kill me? I've taken dozens of your men out at once. I held my own against every person in this room. Do you really want to go down with them?"

She blinked and failed to respond.

" **Keep it up, her heart rate just spiked, so she's either really re-considering her actions or your making her nervous. Either one's good."** Dig informed me.

So I kept pushing.

"Drop the knife and live, or stay with them, and watch as I kill every, last, agent of Talon in here then scalp you for fun." My voice grew low and I could see Mercy's eyes grow big.

Obviously my threat sounded real enough.

Jessica's hand shook for a moment, her grip loosening on Mercy's back and on the knife.

Something gleamed in the angels eyes and suddenly her hand launched itself forward, hitting Jessicas' weakened grip which sent the knife flying towards me. I leapt forward and caught it as Mercy elbowed her captor in the face and spun on her heel before smacking her other heel into the lawyers chin.

 _Crack!_ And Jessica stumbled to the ground, cursing and muttering plenty of profanities under her breath.

I spun, my rifle appearing in my hand as I took aim and let loose two shots.

 _Bang!_ One through a talon agents head.

 _Bang!_ Another through ones chest.

It all happened so fast, and it wasn't till two of their own were already dead did the rest of the Talon agents respond.

But by that point Dig highlighted every enemy on my sensor; a total of fifteen left in the room.

A flash of blue and one Talon agent was swept off his feet courtesy of Tracer. A roar later and two more went flying across the room.

Gun shots filled the air, my shields flared and I turned.

 _Bang! Bang! Bang!_

Three more shots, two more agents down for the count.

"Nate! Angela!" Tracer yelled, and I turned to see a Talon agent preparing to fire on Angel, who had her back turned as she tended to a man bleeding out from his gut.

I was quick enough and three shots later, two in the agents chest one in his head, ended his life once and for all.

But then smoke started to seep from the ceiling.

No...

Not smoke...

Sol power erupted over my body as the smoke moved faster than any natural gas should, and I drew Golden Gun but an arm formed out of the smoke and I fired.

Harmlessly my shot sailed through the smoke, and suddenly a hand wrapped around my throat from behind, I felt another on my back and suddenly I was thrown to the side, my gun disappearing and my flames lessening in intensity.

I hit the ground and rolled a foot before stopping myself and getting to my knees-

 _Bang!_ An explosive shotgun blast hit me point blank and I flew back into a wall, cracking it from sheer force.

I fell to my knees and glanced up as I saw the Reaper walk towards me, one shotgun aimed for me as his either hand held... something small and green, and flashing..

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a flash of blue as Tracer blinked at us, and then-

 _Thoom!_

The device grew bright, and suddenly she was next to the Reaper, her eyes wide and her body not moving an inch. She suddenly opened her mouth as if to scream but no sound came out, and a strand of green electricity crawled up her body and the machine on her chest flickered.

I looked back to the Reaper and launched myself at him.

My arms wrapped around him, and I slammed my knee into his armored plated gut. Arc swirled around me and I drove my fist into his face, but he countered with a punch into my gut. My armor simply absorbed the blow and I pivoted on my foot around his next punch, twisting my body so I sent a roundhouse into his face.

It connected with a _clak_ , and he stumbled to the side.

"You know," I hissed as he balanced himself out and simply looked at me, though I could feel the hate radiating from his body, "I'm getting real sick and tired of your alls' shit."

Sol power erupted over my body.

He drew his shotguns and I drew Golden Gun.

My peripheral's blurred and I tried to back step, but I was too late.

Something massive hit me and I flew to the side and into the row of desks used by the UN body, snapping the one I hit in two and flipping over the next row.

"Holy hell! What the fuck is that?" Dig half yelled in my ear, and I groggily stood up. My eyes swiveled to the front of the room and I saw... _it_. From their stature it was a man, that much I could tell, but they were massive! At least the same size as Reinhardt, but even more jacked than that man.

His face was covered behind a helmet painted gold, golden armor adorning his entire body, and on his right hand, a massive gauntlet, riddled with lights and swirling electricity.

I didn't wait and blinked at him once before using the power of arc to strike forward within the span of half a second, my blade aimed right for his-

 _Zap!_

My blade hit an invisible barrier, the electric current of my arc blade bouncing off the white, transparent shield and back into me

I fell back, as the arc dissipated around me and my shield dropped entirely, as if I had been hit with the full force of of a blink strike from another hunter.

"Uh Nate..." Dig voiced and suddenly a hand wrapped around my thoat, lifting me into the air with an iron grip.

Only Shaxx had ever had strength like this, but he'd never death gripped me like this!

My visor was raised to the same height as his and then he spoke.

"Weak. Undisciplined."

I growled and without hesitation jammed my feet into his chest, with enough force that I would've shattered the shields of a Warlock.

It was enough to force myself free from his grip and I blinked back, landing on the floor just as Tracer collapsed to the ground coughing, whatever having stopped her obviously wearing off.

"And who the hell are you?" I asked, the power of void wrapping around my arms as I prepared shadowshot.

The man, the beast stepped forward once and his helmet turned down to me as he spoke his next words.

"My name does not matter to the likes of you, but you can call me, Doomfist."

* * *

Mei cranked her head towards the door, waiting to see if her captors came back.

They had left minutes ago to check whatever had exploded nearby, from what she had heard it was an order and with her and the others tied up and her weapon who knows where.

None the less however their guards were still gone, and though she had preferred to take them by surprise, she wasn't gonna waits this opportunity.

"Time to go." She whispered and her little drone, slipped out from behind her back and sprayed its cyro-based contents onto the metal cuffs around her wrists. It was precise and after a few seconds the cold bit against her skin and she yanked her hands free, shattering the cuffs.

She smiled for a second and burst to the door, all the while ordering her drone, "get them free."

Slowly, the environmentalist opened the door and peaked out. Her eyes scanned the hall, and in not two seconds flat did she find the bodies of her two 'guards'. They were both on the floor, one leaking blood and the other slumped against a wall.

Then one of them stirred, the one against the wall, and she knew she had to act.

"Freeze him!" she ordered and faster than lightning did her drone zoom out of the room and over to the still downed guard.

It's lower half opened and it unleashed its cryo blast on the barely conscious man.

"What the-" were the only words he managed before he was in-cased in ice and Mei sighed with relief.

She backtracked to the room and was glad to see the other five captives were freed, whispering to themselves before all eyes landed on her.

"Okay," she started, "lets get out of here."

* * *

Hana Song.

Gamer.

Military Captain.

Movie Star.

Famous.

Powerful.

And damn well freaking out as-

 _Ratata ta ta att at ta!_

"Damn it, Dig!" she roared as she fired over her makeshift cover once more,"you said this part of the floor was clear!"

"Well sorry I'm a little bit distracted with about fifty other things right now!" The ghost growled from his place next to the floor, where he floated as close to the tile as possible to avoid any stray bullets.

She frowned and reloaded the last magazine on the pistol she held.

"Aren't you supposed to be a super advanced computer!"

"I can't see through walls!"

Four talon soldiers had ambushed her when she entered the ninth floor, and fortunately there had been an open doorway to her right, so she was able to use the room and doorway as cover. It had been easy taking out the first soldier, since they had been out in the open, but the other three had holed up in two other respective doorways just like she had.

Now it was a small firefight, and she was running out of time!

She peaked out of her cover when there was a momentary lapse in gunfire, and let off a two shots before a stream of bullets flew at her and she was forced to duck back into the room.

Logically, the Talon agents should've stormed her cover, they had number and firepower that much she knew.

But that's what she wanted.

If they had come into the doorway and tried to overwhelm her she simply would've piked them off from the back of the room. Her pistol was precise and the doorway was big enough for one, so it would've been the perfect kill-zone.

Unfortunately the agents were smart and were simply stalling her, till either reinforcements arrived, or they completed their objective, whatever that was.

"Okay so reinforcements are less than ten minutes out, and some dude named Doomfist plus the Reaper dude just appeared with Nate and from the looks of it, its going to be trouble. We need those cameras like now."

"Are you always this annoying?" Hana growled as she glanced around the corner, only to be forced back into cover by three rifles firing on her position.

Dig twirled from his spot behind her, "sometimes. But most of the time its only to Nate I annoy, but since he's in a twist and you're right here-"

"I get it!" Han snapped as she fired off one shot just to keep the agents in cover. It worked.

She had to keep them at bay. She was down to her last clip. And was down three shots already.

"You have any other guns?" She asked as a few more rounds slapped into the wall around her, kicking up chunks of wall and bits of paint into the air.

"I do, but for Nate. I might be able to-"

"Dig," the girl growled, "either get me a gun, or were both dead."

* * *

I stared at the giant, golden armored man before me and I reached for Last word-

Only to find it didn't appear.

"Sorry, I need this." Dig suddenly stated in my mind.

"Dude what the-"

* * *

Something suddenly pulled down on her hip, and Hana cursed as she forced herself back into the room, angered by the fact Talon was simply stalling!

She felt on her hip and grasped the handle of something that she lifted up and... Last Word.

She grinned and lifted the giant hand canon.

"Oh yeah."

* * *

"- literal fuck!"

"Look she needed a weapon and I figured why not give her one she already knows! Plus you have your rifle!"

The golden giant raised his fist.

My rifle appeared on my back.

"Dig, I hate you."

* * *

Hana eyed the door across from her, and fired twice, right at the hinges. The Talon agents returned fire on her position, but it was for naught since she was well inside the room.

She needed to ensure the door to the other room was open before she made the move to gain another room for her to use as cover.

 _Ding!_

"So guess we have more baddies incoming..."

"Fuck!" Hana cursed and with that she rolled out of the room, blindly firing Last Word at the Talon agents, hoping beyond hope that she hit someone and that she would have time to turn and engage the ones in the elevator.

But whether or not any of her shots hit she had no idea. She landed in another roll, momentum carrying her right into the other doorway.

Its hinges gone the door collapsed inward with the girl and Hana grunted as she landed inside the safety of the room. However she had hardly any time to react as the doors to the elevator opened, four pairs of red eyes and dark armored enemies surging forth.

She blindly fired the hand canon as she tried to stand, but the panic caused her to stumble forward, further into the room and right into a desk.

Her side ached and she re-aimed at the doorway as she climbed over the desk and took cover behind it.

She knew Dig was alone in the other room, but as far as Talon knew she was the only target. But of course this meant she was now stuck with at least seven Talon agents outside and they just had to make her wait.

If they stormed her she wasn't sure she could win that fight.

Maybe if she-

 _Clunk!_

Suddenly the lights died, and Hana was blinded as the dark took over.

Why cut out the lights?

Why...

 _'The masks!_ ' She thought. Talon probably had night vision in their equipment!

She gasped as the realization came and a split second later fired where she knew the doorway was.

"Ah!" Someone yelled, and the sound of tearing flesh and the cracking of bone would've let her know she hit someone, but she didn't wait and kept firing.

 _Bang!_

 _Bang!_

 _Bang!_

Till she unloaded the last round and heard the telltale click of an empty chamber.

So on instinct the mecha pilot dove to the ground; and not a moment to soon as bullets flew over her, ripping into the walls, chipping the desk, and blowing holes through whatever else laid behind her. She cursed to herself, praying they wouldn't enter the room and glanced under the desk to see the lower halves of two agents.

But suddenly there was a flash!

Not just one, but multiple flashes, faster than a strobe light, all of which ignited the darkness and she blinked over and over as the outlines of two Talon Agents spun and turned to the hall.

Then the light grew brighter!

"Shit!"

The two agents stumbled back.

Seeing her chance, Hana leapt to her feet, throwing herself over the desk at them as the light turned to a constant flash.

The agents were stumbling back, hands over their eyes, masks on the ground, and their guns hanging by their sides. Of course their masks had night vision, but when night vision equipment is exposed to sudden, blinding light, then the effects of the momentary blindness are multiplied.

Hana knew this.

So she took advantage of it and rammed her weight into the back of the soldier on the right.

He fell forward like a boulder, and she landed on him, immediately whipping Last Word up, then down onto his throat.

 _Crack!_

The heavy gun, along with her new strength was enough to crush the soft skin of the throat and collapse it.

She grabbed the side arm on his leg and threw herself to the left, falling onto her back and firing away at the talon agent still standing.

The bullets hit him dead center, the first didn't break his body armor, the second sunk into the right side of his chest, but the third sunk straight through the center of his chest, the fourth hit right above it, and the fifth hit his throat, blood exploding towards the back of the room!

She scrambled back towards her desk and aimed right for the doorway, only for the source of the light to come zooming into the room as-

 _Bang!_

 _Bang!_

 _Bang!_

"Holy hell I hate being shot at!" Dig yelled as he zipped over to Hana, the light immediately going out,"aim for the door!"

The light returned, this time brighter than before, and forcing Hana to squint even as she aimed for the door.

Another Talon agent stormed in.

They fired.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **First off I want to explain the whole residue light thing. Now in lore nothing like that's ever happened, and you're probably wondering what on earth I'm thinking allowing Hana to suddenly wield light, BUT relax! She's not using light to the extent a Guardian can, like she's not gonna have arc or sol, or anything supers, or attacks, or anything. All she got was a portion of extra healing, and strength. NOW, WHY? It's because... well, you'll see. It'll be explained in either Part II or III of this fic.**

 **Now, why can't Dig just transmat out? Because he's using all the light he and Nate have to connect him to their ship, to the police, to the military, he's having to fly his ship, help Nate, power Hana, and try to break in wirelessly to the UN security. He's kind of strung out, plus he's not used to having to funnel his own light and Nate's into another person to basically amp them. He doesn't have unlimited power.**

 **This final Chapter was split in two because of how long it is. Either I'd get this half out now, or wait another two weeks to publish the whole thing. Figured this would be better.**

 **So anyway, this is a shorter AN, the long one will be next chapter.**

 **Please vote on my latest poll about which new fic I should write! Or else I'll just end up doing whatever I feel like which might end up as multiple fics.**

 **Please review! Thanks! God bless you guys!**

 **-Metal4k**


	16. Chapter 16

**The Darkest Knight**

 **Part 1: the Reformation of Overwatch**

 **Chapter 16: A Guardian's Power**

* * *

"Son of a... _Jot-Gat-ne_...Argh..." Hana growled as she sat against the wall, and with her newfound strength tore a piece of her dress and applied the bandage to the right side of her chest.

Blood, slowly but surely, started to seep through and she pressed harder.

With a growl of pain she stood, her eyes on the fallen Talon Soldier, the last of the seven.

She had been lucky, when they had stormed the room when the lights were out and they had expected her small side arm, not the hand cannon. The power behind Last Word had ripped straight through three of them, the clip she emptied ending all of their lives quick and easy. The next two were easy with Dig's light trick.

The sixth though? That ass hat had gotten of a shot the same time as her.

Fortunately he only hit the right side of her chest, which according to Dig wasn't lethal with the minor healing factor Nate's power gave her. Of course her shot had obliterated the Talon agents left shoulder and with another shot she had ended the agent behind him.

Still, she had to take care of her shoulder, at least enough to push the piece of cloth she tore from her dress under her dress so it was pressed against the wound.

No harm in helping her healing factor take care of her injury.

"All right," slowly, she pushed off the wall and stood with a grimace, "which way?"

"Down the hall twenty feet and then take a left. It should be the fifth door on your right once you head down that hall. I have no idea if it'll be guarded."

The once famous gamer nodded and strode out of the room, Last Word in her left hand as she went, Dig following close behind.

She was quick but quiet, careful to glance down every hall and to listen for any sound that signaled an ambush or an unsuspecting Talon agent.

But none appeared by the time she turned left into the second hallway on her left.

She continued on, her eyes alert and she raised the Hand Cannon as they approached the fifth door.

Her senses were on full alert, and she looked back to the rest of the hall, weary of the closed doors of the other offices.

It would've been smart to ambush her from one of the offices, but then again, Talon had expected an injured girl of five feet two inches, not someone with enhanced strength, speed and the firepower of a small tank.

"How many do you think are inside?" She asked, raising the Hand cannon and placing a tense hand on the door knob.

"I'd bet at least two or three. If they're smart-"

She continued, "they'll be waiting for me to open the door."

"Yeah."

She huffed, and with a twitch of her hand, flung the door open.

Her eyes went wide.

Then a woman with dark skin said, "well, well chiqa, you've impressed me."

* * *

A golden fist flew at me, faster than logically possible, and I barely threw up my hand in time in an attempt to block it.

The metal clad punch broke straight through my block and hit me with enough force to launch me all the way to the back of the room, slamming me into the wall from sheer force.

I felt the wall crack, and landed on my feet, staggering to the right as I shook my head to clear the swirl in my vision.

Under my visor I grimaced.

This dude was something else. Like the man from the warehouse in Rio, the one like a ghost, I was going to have to pull out all the stops.

Arc swirled around my legs and I blinked forward, my power enabling me to blink right at the Golden giant.

He swung the moment I landed in front of him, and I barely managed to dodge the giant fist, before wrapping my fist in void power and boosting right up to him.

His shield had reflected my attack back at me before, but thats when I tried hitting him with an electrified blade. Either his shields were reflective, or his shields were specifically prepared to combat me.

Either thought was troubling.

Niches from him I opened my palm and tossed my grenade right at him, immediately blinking back as the void exploded in a brilliant swirl of black and purple.

I grimaced as his shields flared and instead of recoiling, or even stumbling, he charged for me.

His massive size allowed him to simply charge straight through the desks and chairs in front of him, his golden fist raised as he got within a foot of me.

Of course I waited till the last second, my body already in motion as he struck down, and my momentum carried me right to the side of his fist, which sailed harmlessly into the ground.

But I wasn't done.

My hands and legs were already in motion; my legs pulling me into a spin as my hands pulled my sword off my back and sol power ignited as I slashed at the beasts of a mans leg.

Sol power rippled agaisnt his shields, and my sword bounced off, but I didn't care and blinked in front of him, spinning again and slamming my blade into his front.

Again, Sol wrapped around his shields, but failed to break them.

 _Wham!_

His arm connected with me and I flew back, sword flying out of my hand.

My armor connected with the ground, I bounced, but flipped mid air and landed on my feet. My sword reappeared in my hand and I frowned as the giant settled and grinned at me as smoke filled the air behind him.

"Strong and resourceful. I can respect such an opponent. Unfortunately you stand in our way."

A flash of blue and I watched as Tracers knee connected with the mans face.

I blinked in surprise, both out of the fact she had recovered from whatever it was Reaper did to her, and secondly from the fact her knee actually hit him.

Then she blinked around him as he swiped at her.

Black shadows surged at me and I turned my attention to it as Winston leapt towards the golden man.

A shotgun formed from the shadows and I barely had enough time to sidestep the blast that followed. Even so, the Reaper burst from the darkness and tackled me head on. Using his height to his full advantage he wrapped his arms around my chest and heaved me to the side.

I flew to the ground, my shields held, and I blinked to the side to avoid a shotgun blast to the head.

My knees hit the ground, but I propelled myself up, drawing golden fire around me, though the flames weren't nearly as potent as before. I grimaced as I fired at the Reaper, my golden shot sailing harmlessly through the air and darkness as expected.

My flames flickered and I forced more power into my weapon. It was limited right now, since a chunk of it was helping Hana, but I needed all I could get.

My flames grew stronger and I fired again, this time my gun wasn't aimed at Reaper and instead hit the side of the Golden giants armor.

The super-heated round sunk into his armor, but only a part of the armor heated and fell apart into ash. It was a small chunk, and all it revealed was the underlying set of armor of silver plates and a few wires of circuitry.

But it hit!

Which meant his shields were either re-charging, or he had to manually activate it.

Either one was a huge advantage for me.

I heard something slip from the giants lips as his eyes turned to me, only for a massive, hair covered fist to slam against his cheek.

Without even thinking the power of void engulfed me and launched me to the side, a cloak wrapping over me as my own smoke filled the air.

Darkness mixed with my smoke and in a twist of air, Reaper reformed and spun in a circle obviously searching for me.

I grabbed a knife, and blinked forward, arc surging through the metal in my hand.

My invisibility broke, and at the last second he spun, my blade sinking straight into his left arm, and an inhuman roar left his lips as electricity arced through him. Still, his left hand swooped around and suckered punched the right side of my helmet.

I stumbled from the force of it, surprised this thing had such strength, but my foot stopped my momentum and I pivoted on my heel just in time to deflect the punch sent for my throat with my forearm.

In retaliation I punched the side of his ribs hard enough to hear an audible crack even through his armor. I grimaced and blinked back, at the same time drawing my rifle.

The moment I landed I fired, but a moment later the Reaper vanished into darkness and I cursed.

My attention turned to the Doom guy just as a punch from his gauntlet sent Winston flying. Where Tracer was, I was unsure, but I fired off four rounds into the hole Golden gun had created.

 _Ping! Ping! Ping!_

The shots ricocheted, hinting at his under armors endurance. Smart. He ensured both layers were well equipped to stop conventional weaponry.

Sol power erupted over me and the Giant turned to face me.

I blinked at him, arc and sol mixing in a violent clash as I drew my blade. I ducked under his fist as he swung at me. I spun around his back, and wielding my rifle with hand fired at his back. As expected, the shots failed to pierce his armor.

With terrifying speed he spun on his heel, and rocketed towards me, fist poised to break me in two. I boosted to the right, feeling the force from his punch as he impacted the far wall, breaking through it without any trouble at all.

I let my Arc and Sol power die as he turned again, a sinister smile on his face as he charged at me again.

I lowered my body, my simple blade held at my side as I watched his feet.

He suddenly leapt high, his fist glowing with power as he reached out and brought his hands out to a pose that looked extremely similar to a Titans' fist of Havoc.

My eyes went wide and I blinked to the side as his fist shot down.

The impact hit the floor, and the resounding shockwave threw me off my feet the moment I landed from my blink.

I cursed as I hit the ground and rolled onto my side before pushing myself back up.

The man turned to me and cracked his neck before looking back at me.

I rolled my eyes under my helmet and-

"Enough." A dark voice demanded.

Both of us looked towards the front of the meeting room.

It was Reaper, his shotguns at his side as he craned his head to the side.

I followed his gaze, careful to keep part of my attention on the Doom man, and I saw the sniper from Rio and Seoul. She was dressed differently than before, this time sporting a red dress that conservatively wrapped around her body and a pair of reading glasses sat on the bridge of her nose.

But the important part, was that her heel was on Lucio's back, her sniper aimed at the back of his head.

Shit.

I frowned and only tightened my grip on my blade, my eyes quickly scanning the room for any advantage. Tracer was holding her side, grimacing as she leaned on one foot, but kept her eyes on the Talon agents. Winston was off to the side standing on both legs as his teeth stuck out from what seemed like primal rage, but he was still. Angel was holding up some ambassador, or guard I don't know, but she was holding them up and covering a bloody patch on their side. Reinhardt himself was standing tall, his arms and legs extended as he used his body to shield a group of other aides and ambassadors from any harm.

Tracers eyes suddenly flicked to me and I shook my head ever so slightly. Neither of us would be fast enough to reach Lucio before the bitch put a bullet through his skull.

Her eyes returned to the Talon operatives and a booming laugh filled the room.

Doomfist started toward me his arms raised as he spoke, "ah! A turn of events. Yet again our ambitious operative has turned the tables and given us an excellent opportunity."

His dark smile sent a shiver even down my spine.

* * *

Hana ducked under the heel sent at her head.

Before, even if she hadn't been wounded, she doubted she could've dodge it so effectively, but whatever the hell this light stuff was, made her fast as fucking hell!

She drove her fist upwards and it connected with the back of the dark skinned woman. The woman buckled forward and Hana wasted no time in pivoting on her foot, and slamming the back of her leg against the womans chest.

The woman flew back, and to her utter surprise, broke straight through the wall from the force of the blow.

A wince crossed the gamers face and for a second she wondered if the blow killed the woman.

"Please make sure she doesn't come back," Dig stated as he floated by her and up to the computers.

Hana nodded and made her way out of the room and-

 _Wham!_

A fist hit her in the face, and she stumbled back, only for a hand to grab her hair and yank her forward. Then a knee connected with her gut and she coughed before doubling over. A second hand grabbed her neck, and the other arm wrapped around her throat.

Her eyes went wide.

Suddenly she felt a welling of warmth in her chest and she wrapped her hands around the woman's waist and heaved, her back straightening out and her muscles tensing as she lifted.

" _Como Chingas_!" The other woman cursed, but Hana didn't falter.

Like Nate, the woman had a good half a foot on her, but unlike Nate who always wore heavy armor and was boosted by fucking magic, this woman was nothing.

So Hana lifted the woman, and using the momentum threw them both back and into the wall.

She felt the dry wall crack and bend inward from the force, but the best part was the fact the woman released her and dry coughs racked her throat.

With a few quick steps she created a gap between the two and turned to face the woman who had locked her in the closet.

To her minor surpise the woman was getting up, though she seemed to be favoring her left leg, and a few cuts lined her face.

A sly smile graced the woman slips and she spat out a glob of blood from her lips, "you've got some fight in you. I can relate to that _nina_."

Hana snarled and raised her fists, "shut up. You're done."

She lunged and unleashed a flurry of fists. Left, right, uppercut, right, punch for the ribs, you name it.

The woman managed to block the first three punches but the fourth landed, then the fifth, then the sixth, and as for a seventh hit Hana stepped back and rammed her shoulder into the womans chest and threw her back against the wall with the whole of her weight.

There was another _crack_ as the momentum cracked the dry wall and the woman grabbed her gut before falling to one knee.

Hana grimaced and stood straight, her fists balled up as the woman's eyes met hers.

"Hehe, do you remember what I said to you before _Chiquita_?"

For a second Hana wracked her brain… and the words came to her.

 _Remember who your friends are…_

Suddenly the woman smiled and Hana took a step back.

 _Thoom_!

A deep vibration shook the whole floor and Hana felt her very skin crawl as the heavy vibrations ran up her body.

She tensed, but the woman didn't move and instead, with purple light shooting up around her, vanished faster than the gamer could blink.

And it was quiet.

"Fuck!" Was being the key word…

She looked around the hall, but the woman wasn't in sight and instead she saw smoke lazily drifting out from the security room.

She dashed inside and saw Dig floating in front of a shorted out computer, his parts twirling in agitation.

"Dig what-"

"The bitch empd the fucking place! That's what! Ugh.." he spun violently before zooming out of the room and with a blink of confusion Hana followed him.

She didn't forget to grab Last Word from the floor though.

As the Ghost started down the hall he continued, "unfortunately for her I was able to download enough of the video feeds to get an idea of what's happening, still a bitch move to short circuit the shit while I'm connected..."

"And?" The pilot asked, carefully watching her flanks and back just in case.

"Well we're needed on the seventh floor. We got survivors holding out and a Captain of Helix security in critical condition. If we get to her in time we can patch her up with some of our supplies."

They turned down the hall and started towards the elevator.

"We also got survivors also making a break for the front courtesy of agent Mei, but I got enough on Talons positions to inform the military of a suitable approach and to help them escape."

She nodded in approval, and as they waited for the elevator to open asked, "what about Nate and the others?"

"Oh don't worry about him. The Calvaries here."

* * *

I let out a slow breath.

I could feel Digs nerves ease, but I could still feel the strain on my light.

So that meant two things, one things were going well for our side and two Hana was obviously alive.

Both good things.

" **Dig, eta on the others?"**

It took a second for him to reply. In that time Doomfist took a few more steps toward me and Reaper aimed his shotgun and Angel face.

" **They're here. You just need to create an opening."**

" **And how the fuck am I supposed to do that?"**

" **Literally just start talking. Get theirs eyes off the roof."**

From behind my visor I glanced up to the roof and momentarily wondered what their plan was.

But if I knew anything, it was that I could trust Dig.

So I rolled my head, and slowly stood up, tossing my blade to the ground as I did so.

Couldn't have Lucio getting shot.

"So," I drawled and looked up at Doomfist as he came within easy punching distance of me, "start a war, end either humans or Omnics? That's your play."

His face contorted into something that resembled curiosity and seeing I had his attention I continued, "you have to see that starting a war is bad for everyone. No more secretive missions, no more big bad fist dude. It's just a fight for survival at that point, you get nothing out of it."

I put my hands behind my head and asked, "so what's the point? Or are you three, not including the fucking robot, that stupid?"

The impostor didn't react to me, but Doomfist did.

But not the way I expected him to.

He reared back his head… and laughed! A huge, booming, genuine laugh that shook the room.

"You think our goals are so mundane?" He managed as his eyes landed on me and he heaved out a final chuckle.

" **Terminators in position."**

"Maybe you aren't nearly as intriguing as I thought."

I glared at him from behind my visor, "maybe not, but I'm smart enough for you three."

His brow twisted in confusion and instantly my blade reappeared in my hand.

 _Bang!_

I heard the gun shot go off and turned to look at the body of Lucio, only instead to see the sniper falling back, her rifle split in two and Terminator with green lights and sword standing over Lucio defensively.

 _Whack!_

Suddenly I was flying and I hit the ceiling before falling down with an audible crack of one of my ribs.

"Fuck!" I growled but quickly scrambled to my feet.

A shotgun was in my face.

 _Bang!_

And suddenly it was pointed to the side, the vapor trail from a bullet show casing how someone had shot it aside.

I didn't wait and drove my fist into the chest of the Reaper.

A blip on my radar gave me a heads up and I blinked back, only for Tracer to replace me and driver her heels again into Doomfists chin.

The Reaper was up again, but a flash engulfed him and I squinted from the bright light before refocusing on Doomfist.

He swatted Tracer away and turned to me.

Unfortunately for him three hundred pounds of gorrilla slammed into him before lifting the large man and tossing him over my head.

A familiar weight appeared on my back and I pulled Raze Lighter into my hands.

Winston leapt at the man again, but a fist met him midway and sent him flying.

Sol power engulfed me.

Electricity swirled around the mans giant arm.

 _Crrraccckk_.

" **Ugh you might want to move."**

I glanced up, only to see the ceiling falling in on me. I dove to the side, as a huge _thunk_ filled the air and I rolled to my feet.

"Say 'ello to me newest baby!" It wa the dwarf, holding a giant canon in his hands and handing on top of Bastion in turret form.

We'll talk about overkill.

Doomfists eyes grew wide and he threw up his arm as the two opened fire.

A viable shield appeared as bullets slammed into it, but despite his shield power it started to crack up such a torrent of fire.

I sheathed my sword and pulled my Rifle from the ground.

I joined the others in lighting up his shield.

"Behind ya!"

The warning caught my ear and I ducked just as a heel and purple skin flew through the air my head had once been.

I didn't hesitate and jammed my rifle into her side, prepared to end this.

But the woman was smart, and had already used her earlier to momentum to carry her around around and smacked my rifle away as I pulled the trigger.

The shot grazed her skin but she only responded with a quick knee to my face.

Then a sword slashed through the air of where she had once been.

I blinked as Terminator spun and sliced off the barrel of a side arm she had pulled.

The woman snarled, and feigned a fist to the dude's head. He ducked but she drove a leg into his abdomen.

For a moment I was confused.

She was better than before. A lot better.

Like she had prepared for this.

I grabbed the shoulder of Terminator and threw him back as I took the brunt of her next kick to the head.

But my feet held firm, and despite the fact my neck popped from the force I still pulled back and threw a fist full force at her.

She put an arm up, but with all my strength behind the punch, her arm snapped and the blow threw her back into the middle of the room, right where Reaper was engaged with McCree.

The body of his comrade flew into him, and the Reaper stumbled, allowing McCree to quick draw his weapon and fire three shots into his chest.

The embodiment of death, or whatever the hell he was cursed and grabbed the woman.

It turned and started to turn into smoke.

"Hell no."

Void power wrapped around me, and I drew back on my bow and let loose three shots.

The first slammed into the floor next to the Reaper, its tendrils wrapping around both him and the woman before he could get away. The second flew at the Impostor that was still kicking and fighting both Mercy and Tracer on the far left of the room.

It slammed into the things chest and the machine froze in place.

The third hit Doomfist, but to my utter shock, he snarled as the tendrils wrapped around him and as his shield broke, he launched himself forward and through my power.

His fist connected with Bastion, and the robot whirred in pain as he flew back, transforming back to his other mode.

The dwarf also flew off, several of his shots shearing away part of the roof.

But Reinhardt was there, and before Doomfist could do anything, the even larger man wrapped his arms around the Talon agent and launched him at the the two agents held in place by my Shadowshot.

It was like bowling.

My power faded just in time and the three slammed together and into the ground.

I drew Raze Lighter and let fire erupt over the entirety of my being.

Tracer, wielding an assault rifle from a fallen Talon agent, appeared next to me.

Winston landed on the other side of us, Reinhardt grabbed a giant slab of broken desk and heaved it up as he too stood on another side of the three. A beep of anger signaled bastions presence as he formed a turret again and aimed it right at the three. The dwarf canon raised, The Terminator sword drawn, and McCree with his revolver, all filled in the gaps.

We surrounded them.

We won.

"So," I asked, "who dies first?"

Then there was a grin.

From Doomfist.

" _Apagando Las Luces_!"

My shields flared, Bastions and Terminators lights flickered.

 _Thoom!_ Black smoke billowed out, blinding even me for a split second till my helmet adjusted.

Tracer held her fire. Reinhardt swung. Winston jumped.

But it too late.

My thermals were on, but the group was gone.

And a second later the smoke cleared.

Winstons fists were imbedded in the ground and Reinhardts makeshift hammer was imbedded in the ground only inches from the apes hands.

I frowned, but let my flames fade.

My eyes surveyed the damage.

The room was trashed. Bodies laid everywhere.

But we were alive. As were what looked like at least twelve ambassadors and their staffs.

It wasn't a lot but it was enough.

"So," Tracers voice filled the air, "who's talking to the reporters?"

* * *

With a grunt I leaned against the side of… of whatever remained of the fountain in the lobby.

" **You still got a few broken bones."**

" **No shit."** I huffed and I spared a glance at the front where the Austrian Military and UN security forces had set up a defensive line and where investigators, clean up crew, and medical personnel scrambled back and forth, either into or out of the war torn building.

Since I wasn't apart of Overwatch or anything, I had decided to stay inside and supervise the clean up.

Of course that hadn't really needed any help as it seemed Angel took it upon herself to start that job and the UN and Austrian forces were defaulting to her.

Don't get me wrong, I still helped clear out a lot of the heavier debris, but overall I got some much needed time to patch myself up.

And think about what happened.

Their plan, had been rather ingenious. It took me and Dig reviewing the footage a few times to see that whatever the green weapon Reaper had had was specifically meant to counteract Tracers teleportation.

How the fuck it managed that and why it didn't affect me was strange, though we concluded since my teleportation was supernatural based and not Tech based it probably had no way to actually affect my abilities.

Either way, they had caught us off guard, meaning no one aside from Tracer and I had our weapons/abilities. And then Doomfists shield that only redirected my energy based attacks.

Obviously they had built it to counteract me.

That alone was worrisome.

But Doomfist had also said my ideas had been mundane. What did that mean?

Obviously they were smart. Hell, they had drug me on a wild goose chase across the world, and stolen and built tech to counteract both me and Tracer, kidnapped Hana right from under me, then almost took out the whole of the UN.

Fucking nuts.

But that was considered mundane?

God only knows what the fuck else they were planning.

" **Maybe they want to take over Overwatch? Or start a civil war to… to find better ways to slay Omnics?"** Dig suggested, though even he didn't sound convinced.

" **No idea. We still don't know why they kidnapped Hana. Like, what was the point of that? And why steal Lucios tech?"**

" **Speaking of which, though it's just a surface analysis, I think the green device, was Lucios Tech. Just modified to somehow route Tracer in place."**

" **No shit?"**

" **Yeah, but I'd need to get hands on with it to really figure out what it is. Wish we could get our hands on the shield generator Doom butt had."**

" **No kidding. Someone able to redirect my own light attacks back at me? Not cool."**

" **I doubt it could've held up to Raze Lighter at full strength."**

" **Hopefully…"** I frowned but decided to change the topic, " **any updates on the others?"**

" **Mei, is helping Winston and Tracer deal with the press."**

Fortunately Mei was all right, she had apparently been captured but saved a group of civilians after clearing out the opposition in the lobby with the coordinated help of outside UN forces.

" **And Hana?"**

" **She's doing good, talking with the South Korean ambassador about her… kidnapping that wasn't a kidnapping that turned into a kidnapping that… well fuck it's confusing. But she's keeping quiet about me."**

Dig had told me about Hana and I was impressed. Even slightly injured she fared really well. Though maybe the addition of my light had something to do with it.

But hell, her resolve didn't come from me.

For that she had my respect. Especially considering her getting Dig to the security op center is probably what saved us from dying.

Well not me, but you get the point.

" **Also, she wants to talk. Like… she wants to know what light is."**

I sighed.

Of course she did, but before I could reply a new voice popped up.

"Well," I refocused my attention on the world and Tracer smiled at me as she came and leaned against the wall with me, "that could've gone worse."

"What happened?" I asked.

She shook her head, "well we made it clear that we, including you, saved the day and stopped Talon. But then the gits started throwing around accusations and saying it was our fault anyway."

I frowned, "can't make everyone happy."

"Wiser words were never spoken love."

We were quiet for a moment as a few UN soldiers dragged out a few Talon bodies and the limping soldier in blue armor was helped out of the building by a pair of Austrian soldiers.

"You remember Ana?"

"Who?" I asked, looking back at the Brit.

"The shaky lady from the impostor base."

The memories came back to me. "Oh yeah, what about her?"

"That's her daughter." Tracer nodded towards the blue armored soldier just as she disappeared through the line of soldiers and to the outside.

"No shit?"

"Yuppers." She nodded, "Ana's gonna blow a gasket if she realizes her daughter was hurt fighting Talon."

I shook my head, "would've been better if they helped us."

"You don't know Jack and Ana." Her voice grew softer. "They're both pretty stubborn gits."

"Well it rubbed off."

She chuckles, "and what's your excuse?"

"Exquisite charm." I laughed back, unable to keep my face straight.

She let out a hearty, high pitched laugh and I laughed along.

It was good to laugh after such shit.

"What are you laughing about?"

We both opened our eyes and looked to see Hana standing in front of us arms crossed, though she had a smirk on her face.

"You're hair," I relied and her cheeks turned red.

"Well I'm sorry not all of us have helmets!"

I shrugged, "oh please it's not-"

"Lena." We all turned and saw Winston walking up to us, two men in suits following him.

The ape gave me and Hana a nod before turning back to his fellow Overwatch agent, "The President of the US, along with Russian and South Korea leaders, want to talk with us about reforming Overwatch officially. They think, at least in their countries, we would be welcome to make some positive change again."

You could almost pick up Tracers jaw from the floor.

"Well yes! Of course! I mean yes I'll come along! When are they wanting to talk?"

The Ape grinned, "well they're all up on video chat right now in the UN command tent down the block. I asked to get you and Reinhardt before we started any negotiations."

She smiled and nodded, kicking off the fountains remains with a renewed sense of vigor.

Then Winston turned to me, "Nate, can you take Angela, Hana and Lucio back to base? Along with a few pieces of tech I want to study?"

I blinked once, "why me?"

"You have a ship that's been refueled courtesy of us, Lucio needs to be treated, and given today's events I'm sure everyone can agree we need to stay together. At least for today. The rest of us will be back by at least 1900 hours today."

It was sound logic, especially since Hana would be tired as hell when my light left her.

"All right." I stood tall and stretched my arm, though an ache ran through me and I bit back a curse as my ribs throbbed again.

"Where's angel face at?"

* * *

The whir of the ramp gears filled me with a strange sense of peace.

Mercy gave me a soft smile of thanks as she helped Lucio down the ramp.

"Nate, you owe me a drink for dragging me into this mess, ya hear?"

Normally it'd be considered a dickish thing to say, but it was Lucio, and he was still grinning through the pain and false words of anger.

"Sure thing, so long as I get a date with Julia."

His face paled. "I should call her…"

"Wait," Hana interrupted as she walked out of my ship's hangar, a box of tech for Winston in her arms, "you haven't called her since this all started?"

"I did once, but after that this whole UN thing… she's gonna chew me out." Lucio sighed as both he and Angela slipped through the automatic doors to the base.

I shook my head as I stepped down into the hangar and Dig followed, since after all his existence wasn't really secret anymore.

Well, maybe the fact he was a super advanced AI was hidden from most.

"All right so, what's the plan?" My Ghost asked as we started towards the base entrance.

I held my breath for a second before responding, "we should probably try to find out as much about that Doomfist guy as possible. The fact he had-"

"Nate."

Hana's tone immediately froze me and I glanced back at her.

She had her arms crossed, the box of evidence at her feet, a look of concern on her face.

"We need to talk."

Her voice brokered no argument, but I frowned and replied, "why?"

"Light?" She raised an eyebrow, a look of disbelief on her face.

I closed my eyes.

Granted I figured this was coming, but it honestly didn't even register that today would be that day.

I nodded towards the ship and she walked back up the ramp without hesitation.

It was a quiet walk to the main cabin of my ship. Her steps echoed lightly through the metal structure and Digs hum didn't help the tension.

The moment the door closed to the hangar she turned to me and spoke, "talk."

Nonchalantly I walked to my couch and sit, kicking my legs up onto the table.

"Ask away."

She narrowed her gaze and for a moment I pondered whether or not being nonchalant was actually a good idea.

"What the hell is light? And I know it's not some chemical accident." Her voice held a tint of frustration as she spoke.

I sighed and closed my eyes.

"You want the truth?"

"Yes."

"All of it?"

"Yes."

With a final huff I sat up and Dig read my thoughts floating up next to me.

"I'm a Guardian, protector of humanity and Guardian of the light."

"What?" Her eyes grew wide with confusion.

I learned forward and clasped my hands together.

"I'm not from this Earth."

Her eye got even wider, "you're an alien!"

"No," I chuckled, "nothing like that. I'm just as human as you. Well, kinda. See, the Earth I'm from, the year's 2731, and… well long story short, humanity is on the brink of extinction."

Her face grew somber and she walked over to the table and sat down, her eyes never leaving mine as she asked, "so you're from the future?"

"Not really. On my earth, there's no mention of Omnics or Overwatch or any of that. It never existed."

She nodded, "parallel earth…"

"Exactly our thoughts." Dig voiced for me, then continued, "our time is far worse than this. We deal with the darkness, the very antithesis to our light based powers."

Her eyes were glued to us and I continued, "there's the Hive, the Vex, the Fallen, and the Cabal. They're not all part of the darkness, but it sure as hell led them all to us."

"So," she started, but her voice hesitated before words formed, "why are you here?"

I nodded, "now that's the question of the hour. All I know is, I was there, going to sleep in the Tower, our uh base basically, and then bam. I woke up in the forests outside Rio. It's where I met Bastion."

She accepted the answer and looked away finally.

I could see the gears turning in her head, the thoughts muddled and confused as she tried to accept whatever it was I told her.

"This is… all real right?" She asked, her voice darker, shallower than before.

I nodded again, "yes."

"Huh." She frowned, "so this is all by accident? You never planned any of this huh?"

My silence was her answer.

The gamer pursed her lips together and once again looked at me, "is Kathy real? Or was that just a part of the lie?"

There wasn't any hostility or conviction. It was just a question, though there was frustration hidden behind the cool words.

"She was real." It was my turn to grow quiet, "I didn't make that part up."

"How'd she really die?" She asked.

I closed my eyes.

I could almost feel it as the memories came back. I could almost feel the _fire_ , the _rage_ and the _cold_ , bitter malice of the pit.

"It was a mission we weren't told to go on. My team, Kathy, Marcus, and me, we just… thought we could handle it."

I barely noticed as she sat next to me, her eyes soaked at the floor.

"Another group of Guardians drew us in. Twelve of us in total. Something about fighting a Hive God, or Prince. I don't remember exactly all I remember is we went to the moon, and went down into that pit. Into _his_ pit."

I held my breath for a moment before releasing it with a abrupt cough, "we never should have gone to that cave. The Vanguard warned us not to."

"Who?"

"The Vanguard. Our leaders, some of the oldest and most powerful Guardians ever."

"Why'd you go then?" Again her voice was curious, no ill intent behind it.

So I sighed, "because me and Marcus thought twelve of us could handle it. Kathy warned us against it. Said she had this… feeling, that it would go wrong. Should've listened."

"Nate…"

"I've gotta finish." I almost snapped, "just… listen."

She didn't reply so I continued on, "we went down that hole… hell, fire team Houston didn't even make it to him. They died in the pit, with all the darkness and the Thralls. So many Thralls."

I saw her fidget as if she wanted to ask something, but to her credit she stayed quiet.

"So nine of us went down to his lair, thinking we could end his assaults before he regained his full strength. And… I'd be lying if I didn't say, we gave it a hell of a fight."

"But… he was too strong for us nine. Too much for us to handle alone. Marcus went down first. Took a sword to the head. Then Fredreic, then Arya, then Natasha, and Rickard. Then on and on, till it was just Kathy, Valerie, and me left. Just three versus a God."

"We tried to run, and Valerie and Kathy got out, but I took a hit to the leg. Nasty one, not one you can heal through."

With a flash Raze Lighter appeared in my hand.

I lifted it, "this was Kathies initially. Got it for single handedly defeating one of the top Vex. A Hive mind called Sekrion."

"She came back for me. Used it to fight him by herself. Just to save me. By herself she fought a God off. I can remember the flashes of red, and orange. Of Green fire burning endlessly."

"But… she wasn't strong enough. None of us were."

"I watched as Crota overwhelmed her. I saw him overwhelm her. He…"

Blood so much blood. Armor, blood, skin.

Green eyes looking at me. A silent cry for help. For me to save her.

"She died." I finished, "and I've never been so angry in my life."

"Did you kill him?" Hana finally asked.

I nodded. "I did. Me and Valerie. We dropped a Cave on him and I watched him fall into the darkness in pieces. She had to drag me out. Revived me outside after I bled to death."

"Why didn't you revive the others?" She asked, this time looking at me.

I sat up again, "the darkness. It drains us. If we die somewhere where there's too much of it…"

"You can't come back." She finished.

I frowned, "exactly."

It grew quiet between us. She shifted from her spot, and I could tell she still had questions, so many questions.

But I know I'm my heart, that there was one above all else.

Why her?

"Hana," I started, "I'm sorry about Claire. About your friend and all this. I didn't mean for any of it to happen."

She closed her eyes, "I know, but it did didn't it?"

I had no words of comfort for her.

But she was D'Va. She was a stubborn hard ass, a Captain of her own Mekka team, and one of the most popular idols on the planet.

So of course she stood up, a brave smile slapping onto her face as she did.

"Let's go see if Angela can help you with your wounds."

I blinked once and she rolled her eyes, "I can tell you're hurt." She pointed to my side.

There was dried blood on my armor.

"Fine, but I'm not telling her anything." I stated.

She nodded, "if you won't, I won't."

* * *

 _Two weeks later…_

* * *

Hana Song smiled as the sight of a South Korean Military chopper landed on the outskirts of Gibraltar.

Overwatch had been officially reinstated as a peacekeeping organization.

Granted it was only legal to operate in about twenty countries so far, but it was a start.

Her legs were fully healed now, thanks to Angela's medical expertise and the light Nate so generously provided her at the battle of Vienna.

Vienna. That was weeks ago now.

How strange, in her mind that such a rattling series of events could pass so quick and seem like it never even happened.

But she knew it did.

Mainly cause Nate was standing next to her, along with Tracer and Winston.

Lucio had gone home about a few days after the whole Vienna fiasco.

He had work to do after all.

But she had stayed. She was the South Koreas official liaison to Overwatch now.

It was a neat position, and it allowed her to stay with the heroes a little bit longer.

Of course nothing lasted forever.

Now she had to go home. She had a unit after all, and she needed to pick a replacement pilot for Claire.

She supposed they needed to have a proper funeral. Yotao, and Ashlyn had said they had a small funeral for her but… Claire had always been a big fan of fancy weddings and the like.

Least she could do is give her a great funeral too.

Something to remind everyone of who Claire was.

"Oy, love, remember to call every now and then." Tracer said, the words bringing Hana's mind back to the present.

"Just make sure to drop by whenever you're in town." Hana smiled back, her eyes landing on Nate.

The Guardian laughed, "I'd probably end up breaking downtown again."

She nodded, "that wouldn't be good."

"Probably not, but hey, I'll make sure to stop by whenever I get the chance." Nate smiled and she returned the smile.

"Good, Lucio said he's gonna throw a… shiny dig?"

"Shin Dig," the Guardian corrected.

"That thing, so hopefully I'll see you guys there." She smiled at the group bidding her farewell.

"Maybe," the giant ape replied, "depends on how much we have going on. Running Overwatch isn't easy you know."

"Oh you'll figure it out big guy. Besides! We'll make sure to be all proper and right-o for such a party!"

She shared an incredulous look with Nate before waving off the strange sentence.

"Captain Song! Time to go!" A man in military dress called from the edge of the chopper.

The Captain sighed and straightened her back, "take care. See you soon."

And without looking back she started forward.

The roar of the helicopter blades bid her forward and Hana instinctively ducked as she entered. Her thoughts were blocked out by the sound of the blades and she strapped herself in, allowing one last look to the people watching her go.

Tracer had been kind and was waving adamantly with a massive smile. She was exactly how Hana had expected her to be.

Winston, was calmer, and warmer. He smiled kindly, and though she hardly knew him, he had given her and Nate a chance. That was good enough in her eyes.

And then Nate.

The not so Alien- Alien from another Earth. She had promised to keep his secret. Though she had failed to ask why, she knew he had his reasons.

After all, he wasn't bad. Maybe not a hero either, but he was good at least.

Good.

She smiled as the helicopter lifted and the Guardian of Light gave her one curt nod.

Yeah.

Things were going to be good from here on out.

* * *

"You said she would be dead… the whole thing hinged around her dying, but she's not dead!"

The blonde growled, a wrap of gauze squeezing her chest as she painfully sat up.

Smoke filled the makeshift medical ward and a white mask formed from the darkness, "watch your mouth girl."

"Enough," Akande walked in, his golden fist shining despite its dents and scratches, "another opportunity will arise."

The blonde rolled her eyes, "another opportunity? She was stabbed! I took a bullet! The entire thing went wrong from the start!"

"Of course it did."

The girl froze and both Akande and Reaper turned to the far end of the room.

Black robes fluttered and as a metallic voice filled the air, "small minds can't comprehend true plans."

"Our plan failed. I was supposed to end up as Mekka Captain. Without me, we don't control South Korea or any of the eastern Pacific." The blonde replied.

The robes fluttered and the being took two, echoing steps forward.

"Yes, but we have gained far more than we lost."

Now it was Akande who smiled, "because those who strive and endure through trial, are far more likely to succeed in the future."

The girl frowned, "when Hana's dead-"

"Your friend is no longer a priority. Just a nuisance."

The girl glared, "she's not my friend."

"For appearances sake, she will be."

"What're you-"

The robbed figure moved and within an instant was in fornt of her bed, a metallic hand in the air with a vial.

A vial of black liquid.

"You will be the Brutus to her Caesar, Claire."

It turned to the others.

"And with Overwatch in the spot light, they can no longer operate in the shadows… and the shadows are ours."

* * *

"Jack." Ana Mari stepped into the alley a somber look on the woman's face, "she'll be all right."

Jack Morrison nodded from under the fake hat and coat he wore as cover.

"She was always just as stubborn as you."

There was no response, and Ana sighed.

"So what're we going to do about Talon?"

"We keep doing what we've been doing."

The former agent frowned, "they could use our help."

The man shook his head and simply walked out into the street, his old friend following with naught but disapproval on her face.

She had known Jack for years, and she didn't hide any annoyance when she stated, "they need it. You saw what happened at the UN."

"Which is why we need to stay low. Talons on the prowl, and Overwatch is official again."

"Then what's the plan?"

The soldiers scowl grew under his hood.

"We can't do things like them. So we're gonna find others, and we're gonna become Talons worst nightmare."

"And who do you have in mind for that?"

"Do you remember Genjis brother?"

* * *

 **A/N**

 **And with that, Part I of the Darkest Knight has come to a close. Overwatch has been reformed, and the heroes are going their separate ways.**

 **I'm assuming a lot of people wanted to see Doomfist go toe to toe with Nate, but it just wasn't plausible. I try to keep a sense of realism, and with how smart both fighters are, neither of them would've just gone for the other in some stupid sense of honor or glory. The fight was too wild and unconfirmed.**

 **But that doesn't mean they won't meet again. Trust me I want it too.**

 **Reviews:**

 **Ulydace: he's not really hormonal. It's more of Dig being a jerk. Granted, he's not one to deny a good looking woman when he sees one.**

 **Guest: Again… as stated in earlier A/Ns, Hana Song doesn't know Genji is human. She THINKS he's an Omnic because he looks like one.**

 **Guest: I always took Guardians as less formal than their modern day counterparts. So never took into consideration him saying classified.**

 **Guest: Nate has hard PTSD. He's a really young Guardian too. Of course he's gonna be indecisive and confused, especially with PTSD.**

 **ARandomFan: well thanks! Really means a lot! :)**

 **MyThoughts: yeah my Doomfist is a little more armored than in game Doomfist.**

 **Nicdragon8: yeah Doomfist is a heavy hitter. Unfortunately, we don't get to see just him and Nate go toe to toe just yet. The battle was too hectic for that. Next time.**

 **Haloisbadass: very good hypothesis.**

 **Guest: that's more of, Guardians are played by us, and we have no real life or death fear. I'm sure if it was real, they'd be more freaked than anything.**

 **Lord Razer: Just wait :)**

 **End of Reviews**

 **Hana is getting some more closure here and you see how she and Nate are separating on good terms. Well, we'll see where that goes later.**

 **I also Thought about writing a, Overwatch getting reformed scene, however, there was no way to relay so that. This chapter was focused on Nate and Hana's POV, and neither of them are affiliated officially with Overwatch so there's no reason for them to be at/witness a reforming scene. It just… didn't flow well.**

 **Hanzo.**

 **Also, Claire?! What! Betraying Hana? Why? And how did she live? What's Talons final goal?**

 **Next chapter will be the beginning of Part II: the Claws of Talon.**

 **Leave reviews and thanks again my readers as always. You guys all rock! God bless!**

 **-Metal4k**


	17. Chapter 17

_Nathaniel?_

 _He's… running._

 _Lena Oxton, aka Tracer, tried to blink, but felt nothing but emptiness as she tried._

 _It was blurry, the whole world around her._

 _But she saw Nate. He was running, and… Hana Song… she was with him._

 _Green and brown swiveled by, as they sprinted through the cover of trees._

 _Why were they running?_

 _Was it the smoke in the sky? The howls in the distance?_

 _No, Nate was easily strong enough to handle any sort of wild animal._

 _But there was no wind. No air. What was this?_

 _Bang!_

 _A gunshot! She felt shock run through her, but it disappeared as She saw Nate shooting back, at something behind them._

 _Then…_

 _It was bodies. Mangled and deformed, running through the trees with rotting flesh, and glowing eyes._

 _But the scariest part? They ducked and weaved as Nate shot at them._

 _Something about them made her want to scream, but they paid no heed to her._

 _She couldn't move._

 _Couldn't breath._

 _She turned to run after Nate and Hana, as the two trudge and ran through trees._

 _Towards…_

 _Towards a…_

 _Mountain?_

 _Then it was grey. The trees were gone, as was the dirt._

 _There was a mountain beneath her, but it lacked all its glory because there was no sun._

 _Just clouds. Dark and grey, lightning coursing through the sky like a heartbeat._

 _Thump, thump._

 _Thump, thump._

 _She saw Nate again. And…_

 _No._

 _Hana was in his arms. Blood leaking from her throat._

 _His head was low, no helmet on now, and she couldn't hear his cries, but she could feel them._

 _He had a beard now… a full beard._

 _But… no way he had grown that in just a week._

 _She just saw him!_

 _Where was Dig? Where was his power?_

 _She could… feel, it's absence… like he was just like her now._

 _Well, without the whole time traveling thing._

 _Then she saw it. Movement from below._

 _Those… things! They were climbing the mountain!_

 _Zombies?!_

 _No no… this was… something else. A sixth sense… that's what made her believe that._

 _Nate stood from the body._

 _He raised his sword, and fire flashed in the darkness.._

 _There were so many bodies, so many!_

 _But he started swinging, and it was like a dance, and like chaos, andlike….liken.'..likepainandpanic…'aandheehheeheeeeed….._

"Lena!"

She shot up in her bed, and felt so…. hot.

"Lena?"

She shuddered as heavy gasps left her, her body shivering involuntarily as sweat drops from her brow.

A pair of arms grab her face, and the next thing she knows, shes looking into the eyes of the most important ginger on the planet.

"You okay?" Emily asks, her voice infected with worry and anxiety, "you were thrashing like a wild goose. What was it?"

Lena sighed and forced the tension to subside with a few controlled breaths.

Well, at least she tried to.

She took in the disheveled hair, the baggy clothes and the bright eyes of Emily.

So she smiled at such perfection, "it's nothing love."

Emily frowned.

"It's nothing at all."

* * *

 _Ten hours later…_

* * *

" **Dig, hit it."**

 _ **/:Play: Shoot To Thrill:/:Artist: AC/DC:/**_

I grinned as the riff and guitars filled my ears.

You could never have a bad time with AC/DC.

"Nathaniel."

"Yes love?"

"Oi, don't be cheeky ya git, are you ready?"

A grin spread across my face and my helmet appeared.

"Oh I was born ready."

Tracer sighed over the comm, and the back ramp of my ship opened, gears whirring as the wind whipped and screamed.

"Drop offs coming. Ten seconds." Winstons voice then entered the channel and I popped my neck, stepping towards the lowered hangar door.

" **You realize if you miss, you're gonna go splat?"**

" **Please when do I ever miss?"**

" **Uh… you know what, I'm not even gonna bother replying."**

" **So nice."**

"Five."

I stepped to the edge of the ramp, staring down as the darkness of night covered the sky and the clouds hid the stars.

"Four"

Raze Lighter appeared on my back, and Last word in my hand.

"Three."

"Remember Nate, secure the intel, and try not to cause a huge mess. Last thing we need is the South Africans petitioning the UN to ban us again."

"Two."

I rolled my eyes, "relax. They're in an isolated building right on the edge of the city, and I'll I gotta do is get in, kill bad guys, and secure the intel."

"One."

My feet threw me forward, and the night sky swallowed me whole.

"Don't use excessive force you hear?" Tracer ordered.

I simply grinned, "yes love."

The air whipped by me and lights below grew brighter as I approached the earth.

My cape fluttered and I straightened myself out into a pure dive, "See ya when I'm out!"

" **Turn ten degrees north east."**

I followed as told and narrowed my gaze.

" **Twenty seconds till impact."**

" **It ain't gonna be an impact."**

The large complex came into view, three office buildings, with a very small park in the center, a pond laying in the middle of the park itself.

The small dots of moving hostiles started to become visible and I counted fifteen patrolling the park grounds.

" **Dig, any idea which building has the largest server rooms?"**

" **Nope, they're on an isolated network, but you find me a computer I can find out."**

I flipped mid air, putting my feet towards the ground with my arms spread wide. The large circle of the water right below me.

"Ten!"

The dark blue of the pond grew larger, and I could see the lights in the buildings still on.

Damn Omnics never needing to sleep.

"Five."

I grit my teeth and the surface of the pool grew clear.

"Two!"

I hit my thrusters, all three boosts at once.

My speed slowed significantly and I slammed into the pond, breaking the water's surface with what was probably a glorious splash.

I blinked up, Last Word aimed at the first Omnic I saw.

 _Bang_!

' _Shoot to thrill! Play to kill!'_

One down instantly. I blinked forward. Three Omnics rushed to engage me, I ducked under one, and blew its head off.

The second fired at me point blank. My shield flared, and I drove an arc powered blade into its chest.

With a brilliant flashed it sparked and short circuited.

I spun, avoiding the gun shots for my back, and swept the third Omnics feet from out under it.

It fell, and a single shot in is head from Last Word ended its existence.

 _Clank! Clank! Clank!_

Twelve more Omnics.

All around me.

All weapons at the ready with their telltale red star and skull painted on their chests.

Arc powered erupted over my body.

* * *

 **Metal4k presents…**

* * *

I blinked forward, my blade ripping one Omnic a new nose, before spinning and jamming my blade into the next Omnics neck.

Bullets riddled my shields, dropping them a fourth of the way, but a blink later, I was between two more Omnics and their shots failed to track me in time.

I ducked, swiftly grabbing and slashing Raze Lighter in arc. Their legs separated from their bodies and I powered up my blade and lunged forward.

It connected with a third Omnic and the machine blew apart into a million pieces before disintegrating.

I turned to the others.

They kept firing

I took the hits, but blinked up into the air.

With a brilliant flash of white Arc power burst out in every direction, and the electric light slammed into the Omnics, turning every last one in nothing more than white flakes of dust.

I landed on the ground and looked to the buildings.

" **New record, took you twice as long last time."**

" **Fuck yeah."**

* * *

 **The Darkest Knight**

* * *

Tracer stared out the viewport, looking down at the compound from the safety of Nates ship, while Winston watched from Gibraltar, via their newest satellite.

She wasn't gonna lie, the machine was impressive. Granted it was from some alternate timeline, or dimension, but hey, she wasn't one to complain.

He had told her a brief version of where he was really from, and she had retold that to Winston.

However, based on the… strangeness and, uniqueness of his origins, Winston had decided to keep it between the three of them.

Initially she had objected, but revealing to the press and the world his origins would only hurt their credibility.

After all, hardly anyone even knew that she had actually turned into a time traveling ghost.

How would the word take it if they just dumped the origins of a man from another dimension?

So with a deep breath the woman refocused on the mission at hand.

She looked down again.

The night was overwhelming, but the compound was lit well enough so she could see some details and very vague outlines. She wondered how well Nate was faring.

She knew he couldn't die after all, but it wouldn't bode well if he blew up-

 _Boom!_

The side of one of the buildings exploded open, and through it she could barely spot the form of Nates bike-thing plowing through the open hole and back into the park below.

She sighed.

There was a sigh over the comm, gen Winston spoke up, "did he-"

"Looks like it." She replied with a sad chuckle, "at least he gets results."

"Yes, but the UN is pressuring me to have a public induction for him. And you know-"

"He doesn't want too." She frowned.

"Exactly. If we can't induct him, we have to get him to stop the whole vigilante thing." Winston replied, though he seemed more apprehensive about it than anything else.

She couldn't blame him.

Nate wasn't bad. A little, extreme in his measures, but he wasn't bad at all.

Heck, after all, it was he who tracked down Nexus: the terrorist tied Omnic rights group, to this compound. Or at least where some of them were.

"You know he won't, but maybe we can keep him on for the Nexus investigation?"

"Hmm. Maybe. I'll talk to Angela and Reinhardt about it."

"All right-"

 _Boom_!

She cringed as another explosion racked the park.

"You git…" she huffed.

There was a flash of light from the main room, and she spun the chair around, leaning over to see through the cockpits doorway.

Black armor and black cape settled down, a flaming sword swinging side to side before the Guardian resheathed it.

His helmet disappeared and the Guardian stretched.

She frowned, "I told you not to break the place you bloody maniac!"

"Hey, at least I got it!" He smiled and held up the flash drive she had given him.

"Ugh."

* * *

 **Part II: The Claws of Talon**

* * *

I stretched as I appeared in my apartment, tossing my helmet to the floor and my hand cannon onto the couch.

My armor disappeared in a white flash, helmet and all, and I strut over to the fridge, my normal clothes appearing over me as I did so.

The fridge was filled with a few basics, and a few microwaveable foods I liked but overall it was rather bare.

Even for a single dude living alones' standards.

"Dig, what'd we get with that break?"

My Ghost appeared behind me, "Hmm. Nothing of note so far. I'm still reading though the files and trying to backtrack some of the sources of this info. It's a little bit tricky though, the Omnics are good for this time period. They know how to cover their tracks. Probably gonna take me a few days."

I frowned, "well damn. Anything we can follow up on the mean time?"

"Nothing really. The Nexus is secretive and Talons been quiet for months now. I've picked up some chatter on some group called the junkers and the Broker clan, causing some ruckus in the east."

"Nothing that sounds like the Vex or Hive though."

"Nada. Only the Nexus has resembled anything close to that, but still no traces of darkness."

I closed the fridge after grabbing a Smirnoff, popping the cap with my thumb before downing half the contents.

"Anything we need to tell Tracer and them about?"

"Not really. That AI they have will probably find the same shit I am. Just logistics about the number of weapons and units in the immediate vicinity. That and some trade routes we could disrupt, but overall nothing else."

I pursed my lips as I walked over to the couch, sitting with a plop before kicking my feet onto my table.

My place was small. One bed, one bath, and a living room.

I was grateful for Overwatch. They set me up with this place six months ago, after the UN stint, but they did so through cash transactions to keep it off the grid.

Now I hadn't planned on actually buying a place, I had my ship after all, but they had insisted, saying it would be a safe house and a place I could use to stay on earth whenever I wanted, and so they could contact me easier.

Obviously it was easier for them to keep an eye on me, but I didn't care.

We were both trying to protect humanity at the end of the day.

So I here I stayed. It was nice, kinda like the tower.

Partially.

I grabbed the remote off my table, and flipped the TV on.

News. Again. Now I don't mind news, but after a night of killing Omnics I didn't feel like listening to how bad a shape the world was supposedly in.

Hell, this world was still spinning. Good enough shape for me.

So I changed the channel, looking for HBO, which was a channel that had apparently survived the Omnic war.

The movie I didn't recognize, so I checked.

Something called, 'the Time Traveler's wife.'

Hmph.

"Is it good?"

"It's a romantic film."

I frowned, "definitely not in the mood for this."

So I flipped the channel again, and this time…

I leaned closer to the TV, an eyebrow raised as I stared at the girl running across the screen.

"Is that Hana?"

"Yup." Dig floated down next to me, "apparently she was in a movie little over a year ago. Something called the Hero of my Storm."

I nodded and watched as she and some doctor talked about something in some weird laboratory.

"Totally gonna have to ask her how it was to be in a movie," I added, "next time we see her."

"I think Overwatch is scheduled to have a meet up with the Eastern powers in a few weeks. Something regarding the cooperation between them in regards to dealing with Nexus and the large number rogue omnics hitting South Koreas borders lately. We could check in, see how Hana's doing, and get some info from her about the Nexus. And oh, get this, it's a costume party that she set up."

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"One, the parties a cover, and two she's a part of the Nexus force. Joint counter terrorist group formed by Japan and South Korea a few weeks ago. No surprise that she set up the party to cover everyone getting together."

"How'd she manage to get on the task force?"

"Well, considering she tussled with Talon and lived, I'm guessing they figured she'd be an asset."

I nodded, and leaned back as the movie continued, "you've been keeping tabs on her?"

My Ghost did his equivalent of a shrug, which was him basically spinning his parts and floating a bit higher before lowering.

"Just in case Talon took another shot at her. Nothing so far."

"Good. So a task force?"

"Yeah, considering these guys have been all over the news lately, and they sound like fucking Vex, figured we might be interested in going to this meet up."

"Eh," I shook my head, "too many regulations. It'd be better, if we just kept under the radar. Don't want Nexus, Vex or not, onto us."

Dig twirled again, "dude, we just ransacked one of their top compounds."

"Yeah, with Overwatch. If they think we're with overwatch, they'll think they have time and that we'll be limited to the law."

"We're making this really hard on Tracer and Winston you know."

I sighed and pursed my lips together, "I know. Which is why, we need to figure out if these guys really are related to the Vex or not. I mean the Nexus? No way that's coincidence."

Dig failed to reply immediately, and instead twirled higher before floating bad towards the kitchen, "well, maybe, maybe not. But we should at least give Tracer a heads up."

I took another swish of my drink, only to find it was empty.

"We both agreed that telling them was a bad idea. We don't want Overwatch freaking out about something that may not even be real."

His light shined, and the next thing I knew another Smirnoff was floating in front of me.

I took it with a nod of thanks.

"Maybe we can tell Hana?"

I thought about it for a second before saying, "maybe. She was the first to know about us after all."

 _Ding_!

I glanced at the device on my table; the one I had left here before the mission.

A smart phone.

Tracer had given me one after we said goodbye. Said it was on her plan, and was a just in case.

They'd been using it to get in contact with me whenever we had a joint op.

Granted it looked like they were trying to keep me out of the spotlight, so of course they were gonna keep a close eye on me.

I picked up the slim piece of metal, and with a swiped, 'opened' the phone to see a message from a random number.

' _Hey! So uh, It's Hana! Got your number from Tracer. She said you have a phone for emergencies. Uh, anyway, having a party at the Lotte this Friday. It's the really big building downtown Seoul. You'll find it. Oh! It's a costume party to! No, your armor doesn't count as a costume. Tracer and Lucio'll be coming! Don't know about Winston and the others, but they are! So anyway, hope to see you!'_

I blinked.

"Huh, so a personal invite too."

"Gonna go?" Dig asked though he was facing the TV from his newest spot on the couch.

I pursed my lips.

Well… I guess I could go. I didn't necessarily have anything to go off of yet in regards to Nexus. And Talon had been quiet so what else was I gonna do?

"Well, I guess-"

"Got a hit."

I narrows my eyes, "what is it?"

"Hmm. Well, it's a mention of a group called the Deadlock gang. Something about a trade with them for firearms or a fire team… fire something. That parts corrupted."

"How?"

"You blew up half the floor while I was downloading shit!"

"I didn't know there was a gas line in the floor!"

My Ghost growled in annoyance and twirled before continuing, "anyway, they're located somewhere in the southern US. Not a friendly bunch."

I looked back down at the phone in my hand.

It was Wednesday now. Well, early Wednesday morning.

"We can make right? Two days is easily more than enough time to find these guys and see what they're connection is."

Dig sent a pulse of agreement through our link.

"I mean what's the worst that could happen right?"

* * *

 _ **Two days later…**_

* * *

"You just had to say it! What's the worst that could happen!"

I rolled my eyes as I blinked and spun around, drawing my knife and jamming it into a large, bald man's throat.

He tried to gasp, but I pushed him aside and fired last word.

My bullet traveled true and hit the barrel of another assailants rifle.

His shot went off target and his rifle was ruined.

"Down!"

I ducked and watched as a shot from a revolver lodged itself in between another assailants forehead.

A second later I blinked up and fired at the last assailant, the one on the roof of the gas station.

He dropped like a fly.

I grimaced as I landed and placed my weapon on its magnetized holster on my leg.

"Ya need to keep yer eye out for the roofs. They like to post up on 'em."

McCree walked by me, his hat tilted forward as he spun and holstered his revolver, an ally I had happened to run into right before this interrogation had turned into a firefight.

Granted he had bailed me out when I blew my cover story...

I rolled my eyes at his statement, "please. I know how to watch my flanks."

"Sure don't seem like it." The cowboy huffed.

"Yeah, yeah," I waved his comment off, "so what exactly are you doing here?"

"I could ask ya the same question." He replied, "don't think Overwatch would be happy to see ya here without em."

I shrugged, "eh, what they don't know won't hurt them. Besides I'm following up on a lead, something about this," I kicked the foot of one of the dead men, "gang trading with Nexus."

"The who?" McCree raised an eyebrow.

"Nexus, some secret Omnic terrorist cell. I caught them trying to bomb a school a few weeks back, and ever since Tracers been on my ass to make sure I help them catch them and not destroy another city."

He chuckled once, "heh, sounds like her."

I looked up to the sky, the moon brightly shining down on us and the dimly lit station.

"So what about you? Last time I saw you was what… five months ago?" I looked back to him then glanced to the road, and beyond it, the canyon.

The lower canyon, if what I had gained was true, was the base of their operations.

"Eh," he shrugged and walked up to me, his eyes narrowing at the canyon, "got myself an old score to settle."

"Good old fashion revenge." I nodded.

He didn't reply.

"So you know exactly where their main headquarters is at?" I asked.

"Used to," he motioned over his shoulder to the giant rock walls and the road that continued through them and further into the upper part of the canyon, "but Overwatch shut us down back then, no idea where they'd be now."

"Us?" I raised an eyebrow behind my visor.

"Yeah," his voice was low, as was his hat, but besides that he turned and started towards the upper part of the canyon, past the gas station.

I followed after him, "so where are you going?"

"Like I said, they used to have a place up here, but it ain't used no more. But, it's got tunnels to the lower valley meant for smuggling, and aside from a couple hour drive or falling two hundred feet, that's our best bet to getting down there."

I nodded, "all right. How long will it take us?"

"Few hours, and after that we gotta find their new place." He huffed, and with a quick swipe of his hand plopped a cigar in his mouth.

He lit it with a flick of his revolver, then continued, "why you got a hot date?"

I glanced at the reminder I had set for Hana's get fake party.

It was in an hour.

Guess I was gonna miss it.

"Nah."

* * *

"Oh come on man! I'm on the guest list! Lu-See-Oh!"

Hana's ear caught the voice of her friend, and her eyes turns to the doors of the giant ballroom.

"Lucio!"

She leapt from her spot near the dance floor and wrapped her fiend in a massive embrace, well an embrace that was massive for her.

After all, her and Lucio weren't the tallest people in the world.

The man laughed and wrapped his own arms around her, "well if it ain't my favorite Song!"

The gamer released him and smacked his arm, her cheeks slightly red, "I told you to stop calling me that!"

The man shrugged, his costume attire of a frog suiting him well as he then laughed, "hey, Julia says being a jokester is apart of my charm! Who am I if not charming?"

Hana rolled her eyes despite the amused grin. She took a step back and gestured inside, to which Lucio took his que and entered, a small glare sent at the bouncer.

She grabbed his arm, and looked him up him down, "a frog really?"

True to her words, Lucio was dressed in a bright green frog suit, the head of the frog used as a hoodie that rested haphazardly on his back.

He frowned, "what? It's stylish!"

She laughed, "sure it is!"

"And what're you supposed to be exactly? A cop?" He asked, trying his best to feign sarcasm.

Hana grinned, stepped away, then spun on her heel before pulling out a fake badge, "officer Song!"

She winked with a peace sign, her attire composed of dark pants, a button blue shirt, a tie, and a Korean police hat.

It was a genuine second of awe before Lucio burst into laughter.

The consultant for Overwatch growled, her cheeks growing red and her eyes narrowing, "it's a good costume! I put work into this you know!"

Lucios laughter grew louder for a second, "like you look great, but man, you're about as scary as a kitten! But like, a newborn kitten!"

She fumed, her face growing even redder as she ground her teeth together, "jerk. Nate would appreciate it!"

"Ah," the DJ wiped an actual tear from his eye and glanced around, "speaking of which where is the dude?"

She shrugged and her anger deflated, "I don't know, haven't seen him in a few months."

Lucio nodded as the two started off, walking further into the large hall, which was adorned with glass walls and windows that displayed the late night skyline of Seoul.

He huffed as he stated, "you'd expect the dude who saved our asses, especially yours to at least pop by and say hey. Guess he's busy."

She nodded and a small frown appeared.

For a moment she was sad.

She knew they were friends. She knew that. But… friends were at least supposed to talk to each other right? He hadn't even replied to her message.

Maybe he was just a phase for them. A friend that comes and goes.

"Well," she shook her head, "come on! I wanna introduce you to the rest of my squad!"

A grin appeared on her face, and she latched onto Lucios arm, dragging him further through the dance floor and tables.

Dozens of people floated by, most of which Lucio didn't recognize though he did see one face that made his temper flare.

"You invited Vishkar?" He asked, his voice dangerously low and completely lacking his normal warmth.

Hana blinked as they stopped in their steps and followed his gaze.

Sure enough, one of Vishkars head negotiators was standing nearby, his top agent by his side.

Lucio recognized them from the uprising in Rio. These two has been beyond infamous with the locals, and by extension him.

"The president wanted them here, something about making olive branches with everyone so that way we could pave a new way for the new UN and Overwatch." She informed, completely aware of hers, and Lucios, disapproval of the mega-corporation.

She could feel her friends tension, and she pulled on his arm, "come on."

He didn't fight her lead and moments later the two found themselves at a table with four others happily chatting away.

"Hana!" The speaker was another girl, Korean if her features were anything to go by, "who…. this?"

The speakers cheeks grew red as a beat and Lucio raised an eyebrow as she averted his eyes, her attire that of supergirl from the comics.

Still he smiled and replied, "Lucio, Lucio Santos."

He didn't miss the evil grin on Hana's face, "Lucio that's Ava, she's new on the newest recruit of our squad."

Which meant they had already replaced Claire. He wondered how Hana was handling that of all things.

"That's Marques."

"Sup man," an American boy with short brown hair and blue eyes greeted, his own costume being one that looked like a football player.

"That's Jullian."

A dark skinned man, who held of sense of regality about him, waved at the once freedom fighter. He didn't have a costume and was in a well pressed suit.

Still his smile was warm and friendly enough.

Lucio returned the wave and Hana motioned to the last of the four, another man, "and last, and certainly least,"

"Hey!"

"That's Kolden."

That last of the four was a man at least Lucios age, though his glasses and… was that a pocket protector?

He hoped that was a costume.

"Nice to meet you guys." Lucio stated with a grin.

"So Lucio my man," Marques stood up and walked over to the two.

His arm wrapped around Lucio's shoulders and he turned to Hana, "since this one won't tell us, how about you tell us. What's Overwatch like?"

He gawked, "you won't tell them?"

Hana rolled her eyes, "I told them, he's just a flirt and wants to get Tracers number."

Lucio laughed, "dude you are barking up the wrong tree."

"Why does everyone I ask keep saying that?" Marquez sighed and relaxed the singer.

"Hey at least you didn't ask Nate, he probably would've been a dick and given you her number just to screw with you." Lucio laughed.

"Who's Nate?" Kolden asked, a phone in his hand.

Lucio looked to Hana, and the captain rolled her eyes again, "I told you, the guy who stabbed me."

"That asshole?" Marques replied as he sat down.

Hana sighed, took one of the empty seats, as did Lucio, then replied, "it was an accident."

"Didn't seem like one." Kolden huffed and the four eyed boy returned to his phone.

"He has good points." Ava replied, but she immediately turned away when Hana simply glanced at her.

Lucio sat back in his chair and tried to stay as quiet as possible.

Obviously this was a touchy subject for the group.

Then Marquez sighed, and even under the radiant light of the ballroom, his words grew dark as he spoke, "all we're saying is that he could've been playing you. He stabbed-"

"Can we just drop it?" Hana pressed her fingers to her temples.

Her unit grew quiet but Marques stared at her.

Lucio watched as Hana Song met his gaze.

Two iron wills clashed, but eventually Hana's gaze proved to stronger.

Marques relented with a shrug and leaned back in his chair, then his eyes brightened and he turned to Lucio, "so, Lucio, when's your next concert?"

The tension passed and He grinned, "actually it's in two months, first stop, Seoul." He proudly grinned, and couldn't help but feel a little chip on his shoulder as Ava grew red again.

"Cool man, what's it like making music? I tried it once but sucked. Ended up breaking the guitar." Marques laughed.

"Sounds like you." Kolden replied, never looking up from his phone.

Marques didn't take the bait, and continued, "any chance you could get us tickets? I know someone who'd really like to go."

Again Ava turned beat red.

A little bit of teasing and poking fun was always cool in Lucios book, but now he started to feel bad for the girl.

Heck she looked just eighteen, and from her demeanor seemed about as shy as Hana was proud.

So why not make her day?

"I can do one better," he smiled as a waitress arrived at their table and promptly planted down a glass of wine in front of him, "how about I get you guys VIP tickets?"

He could've sworn Ava almost fainted.

* * *

I narrowed my eyes at the giant wooden wall from behind the boulder we were using as cover.

We were deep in the canyon now, like to the point I could no longer see the remnants of route sixty six.

And it sure as hell took a few hours but we found it.

Or at least found a giant wooden wall that spanned the width of the canyon.

"Dig."

"We've got a town behind that wall. Lot of people, at least five hundred, women, kids and everything."

"Think this is their place?" I asked, glancing at McCree.

The cowboy didn't reply immediately, his rugged features and sharp eyes focused entirely on the wall.

He then nodded slightly, "I'm a bettin' man, and I'm bettin' those turrets sure as hell aren't something friendly folk would use."

I followed his eyes and though it was hard to see them in morning light, I was able to make our their shapes: fifty caliber turrets and powered down floodlights.

A popular combination in this world.

"All right, my eye in the skies telling me there's a town behind this wall. Kids and everything." Though I didn't straight out ask the question, my inquiries were implied.

As expected the ex-Overwatch agent took noticed and responded, "like I said they were a gang, but Overwatch dismantled 'em. Seems like they're more than a gang now, maybe they made it a way of life."

I frowned, "how long ago were they dismantled?"

He frowned but replied, "was like twenty years ago. Before Lena joined and right after the war."

I nodded, "that's plenty of time for them to rebuild."

"Uh huh, but they have'n even popped up on the feds radar. Looks like they ain't trafficking anymore." He added.

"Unless they got really good at it." I retorted but the cowboy stayed quiet.

With the silence now reigning over us, I focused on finding a way in.

I studied the wall, looking for blind spots or weak points in the wall itself.

The vantage point gave the turrets a great line of sight, and if those floodlights came on, it'd light up the whole canyon.

So blind spots on the walls were a no.

I glanced to the side of the canyon then to the sky.

But what about the sides… nah no one would normally be stupid enough to climb the hundred or so feet to just get a chance over the stupid wall…

Wait.

I looked at the sides again, the parts of the wall connected to the canyon side.

How thick were the walls? What if...

"Hey McCree, think you could get through those walls if I made a distraction?"

He turned to me, "you bet I could, but It'd have to be one hell of a show."

I grinned as the weight of Gallahjorn pulled down my back.

"Oh trust me, this is gonna be the biggest show of their lives."

He grinned, "I like the sound of that."

"Just make sure you get in and knock out any guards. I'll take care of the turrets."

I grabbed my rocket and blinked upwards, took aim and fired right at the nearest fifty cal.

Boom!

The explosion rocked the canyon, small rocks tumbling, walls shaking and dust stirring up from every nook and cranny.

I landed with a dull thump, but my distraction did exactly what it was intended too.

 _Whew!_

Sirens blared over hidden loudspeakers and I naturally grimaced as flood lights suddenly powered up and 'flooded' the canyon before the wall.

Then a shrill voice yelled, "there! Take it out!"

Without a moment to lose I rolled to the side, the familiar rat ta ta at of the fifty cals ripping apart the ground I had been standing on.

I blinked upwards as another turrets joined the fray then boosted back behind a large boulder.

I ducked behind the boulder, but dashed forward back into the open.

The bullets and their launchers turned to follow me, and the sound of a third turret, albeit this one to the far right, opening fire caught my ear.

Quickly I blinked backwards, and the lines of fire crossed each other.

Mid-air I took aim and fired another rocket.

Based on it's angle it should've hit below the turrets, but the rocket tracked it's target and angled up.

 _Boom!_

One turret out.

 _Rat at ata ta ta at!_

Two more, each from the far ends of the wall opened fire, making it four that were now targeting me.

 _Whack!_

A round hit my side and sent me reeling. I hit the ground, bullets trailing after me, but a quick blinked forward pulled me out of their line of fire.

Four turrets left.

Five rockets.

Easy.

* * *

"So what happened next?"

Hana kept her grin subdued and listened intently to Ava's story. The girl was recalling their last mission to Lucio.

It had been a few weeks ago, towards the southern province where her team and two other squadrons engaged a rogue panic group preparing for an assault on a small town.

"Marques fly down and try to shot the big one, but it go, uh, fly really high and boom!"

Ava smacks the table, causing Kolden to jump and Marques to laugh.

"No more big guy!"

Lucio chuckles politely, and Marques continues for his teammate, "it was pretty epic I'll admit. Should've seen Hana, took out at least twelve omnics on her own. And not just the pea shooters, she took out the new units the-"

An abrupt elbow to the side from Kolden ended Marques's story and the larger man sent a glare at four eyes.

She noticed Lucio's eyes narrow in confusion, and so she steps in, "were not supposed to talk about the mission," she explains though her grin shows her true intentions, "but that hasn't stopped us before."

"So what did you take down?" Lucio asked, genuinely curious.

She leaned back in her chair as Kolden shook his head at her, and though his face was somber, she knew he was more afraid of getting in trouble with their superiors than with her, "it's a new omnic design. Not sure what they call it."

She nodded towards a table on their far right, a table where two of her generals, and several others from the UN and major corporations sat whispering to each other.

She leaned forwards and Lucio copied her movement, "don't talk about it but they think a new faction is running around building new versions of the OR-15, except these ones are lethal. That's what we fought."

Her friend frowned, "what about Tracer and the others? Nate? Have you told them?"

She shook her head.

"She shouldn't even be telling you," Kolden muttered, but fortunately the noise from the party kept thru conversation secluded to their table.

Marques punched the other boys shoulder lightly, "chill dude."

Kolden shook his head, "I'm just saying."

Haha ignored the two and continued, "I can't tell them yet, but that's part of the reason this party was put together."

"Secret meeting…" Lucio muttered.

She nodded with a small smile, "did you really think we would hold an actual costume party with all these officials?"

Lucio frowned, "aww man, so I dressed up for nothing?"

She chuckled, "no no, it's fine! I mean at least half the parties dressed up so it actually worked out."

"Well I still feel pretty stupid now." Lucio huffed, though his vanity was obviously feigned for appearances sake.

She laughed, this time loud and boisterously, "oh it's fine! I promise you look great!"

"Well if isn't Hana Song!"

A new voice pierced the air and the tables occupants turned to see none other than Lena Oxton, aka Tracer, standing right next to their table her arm crossed and her smile as bright as ever.

"Lena?" Hana blinked before standing with a giddy smile, "what're are you supposed to be?

"I'm a zombie love!" the Brit spun on her heel and though her clothing and make up was dark and moody, she looked more like a gothic cheerleader than a zombie.

Haha bit her lip, tempted to reply but Lucio beat her to the punch, "girl you look like something of a punk band album!"

The DJ laughed brightly and Tracer frowned, "Oi, watch it you cheeky chap! I put work into this!"

But the frown immediately faded, "so who're the rest of you lot?"

Haha turned to her team, and pointed to Kolden, "Kolden our techy, there's Marques, and that's Ava, then finally Jullian."

"Nice to meet you all, names Lena." She smiled and gave a curt wave.

The group responded with varied greetings and hellos, though Marques seemed a bit flustered.

Hana could only wonder in amusement what was running through his head.

"So where're the others?" Hana asked, looking behind Lena and failing to see any other overwatch agents.

"Oh Angela's talking to the Swedish prime minister whatever he is, Mei and Torby I think went to get drinks, and… huh, I don't know where Winston went. Probably found a couple bananas."

Hana nodded, knowing exactly what Tracer meant. They had agreed during their last transmission to kept the meeting discreet, so when Tracer had said Winston wasn't around, she knew where he was.

As the de facto leader of Overwatch, Winston was the only one required at the meeting, but the others were allowed to come and go as they pleased.

But…

Despite her eagerness to reacquaint herself with the other agents present, there was someone noticeably still absent.

She glanced around once more to be sure, and finally turned back to Tracer, "where's Nate?"

The woman faced her, breaking off her conversation with Marques, "no idea, I figured he was already here."

"Wait he's coming?" Kolden suddenly spoke up and the two ladies turned to him.

He shook his head, "I don't think it would be a good idea if he came. A lot of people still don't like him. Me included."

"I told you he's not our enemy," Hana retorted, and she saw the small frown forming on Lena's face.

"Hana," Marques then interrupted, "look we trust you, but we don't trust that asshole."

Jillian nodded, and Ava crossed her arms, staring at Hana with concern.

"All right loves," Tracer smiled brightly and stated, "let's just bring it down, this is a party after all!"

Kolden however didn't take his eyes of Hana and she in turn kept her gaze fixated on him.

She knew her team meant well, and their loyalties were to each other, but their distrust of Nate irked her.

She understood why they were against him, but damn it, it was annoying!

"No," Kolden huffed, "We can't just drop it, since she's been back we haven't even talked about what happened, and hell, Claire was your best friend! You haven't said a thing about her!"

Lucio narrowed his gaze and pointed at the techy, "yo man, you need to chill, she ain't saying you guys are wrong, she's just trying to say-"

"We know," Marques shook his head,"he's innocent, but she hasn't told us how hes innocent, she hasn't even-"

"Marques," Hana snapped, and her team grew quiet, "were a team, and I'm sorry if I haven't been open. It's tough."

And it was tough. Yes, they were her team...but how did you tell these people who saw you as a strong leader, as a idol for what you fought for…

How did you tell them how useless and weak you felt? How powerless you were when that man tried to…

Tried too…

Kolden looked away and Ava closed her eyes.

"We are indeed a team," all eyes turned to Julian, he smiled somberly and continued as Hana met his gaze, "and we will stand by you when you are ready to explain this man's innocence. For now, we must understand you, and you must understand us."

Hana smiled back and nodded, and she noticed Marques do the same. Kolden huffed and nodded, and Ava happily grinned.

"Wise words Julian," Tracer commented, "that's how it works you lot. You stick together and have each other's backs, no matter what."

"Except for Kolden here," Marques chuckled, "never trust this dude, or he'll build am sent behind your back and destroy your base while you fought someone else!"

"It was one time!"

Her team laughed, and tho igh Tracer and Lucio looked slightly confused she was glad the tension had died.

Hopefully she'd be able to talk about it to them some day.

Some day she would-

"Ms. Song."

She turned and was met with the sight of a well dressed, and poise woman, a woman who had made headlines for years.

Katya Volskaya.

Training kicked in and Hana politely bowed, "Mrs. Volskaya, it's a pleasure."

"Please no need to call me Mrs, Katya is just fine."

The woman's English was impeccable, most likely because, like Hana, she was responsible for dealing with plenty of Foreign affairs and English was the language of business.

"Of course," Hana respectfully bowed again.

And though her team was actively talking against themselves, she could see a few of them watching the exchange.

After all it wasn't everyday Katya Volskaya talked to you.

Katya chuckled, "so polite. I must say though this party is very extravagant, far more lively than other parties these political types like to hold."

"It is, hopefully it isn't to unprofessional."

"In Russia we may have been above such a party, considering the circumstances, but it is nice to see such frivolity amongst our allies."

Hana smiled at the compliment, but there was no happiness in it. She wasn't sure if the Russian leader was complimenting her, or demonizing her country's choices.

Either one made her uneasy.

Volskaya wasn't known for her bedside manners.

"How may I help you Mrs. Volskaya?" Hana asked.

She wasn't going to beat around the bush.

"To the point, well, I'm not just here for you," she stepped past Hana and next to Tracer, interrupting the table's conversation without a care, and extended her hand as she greeted, "Mrs. Oxton, a pleasure."

"Oh, well hello. Mrs Volskaya correct?" Tracer smiled as she turned and greeted the Russian.

Volskaya nodded and the Overwatch agent continued as the rest of them watched, "well, I must say it's a pleasure, I'm sorry about the new crisis, wish we could be of more help."

"It is of no concern, after all Overwatch is still on the, training wheels, so to speak."

Lena nodded solemnly, "unfortunately, but we're still trying legalize our actions."

"Hopefully sooner than later."

Hana exchanged a nervous glance with Lucio and noticed the furrowed brows on Koldens face.

"Course love," Lena politely responded, then continues after a brief pause, "now what can I help you with Mrs. Volkskaya?"

"Well the matter, is a bit sensitive, if you and Ms. Song would be willing to speak in private about a mutual acquaintance?"

Hana's heart dropped.

Shit.

What did Nate do now?

* * *

Hana leaned against the wall of a small meeting room, walls ridden with windows.

A frown etched in her face as Tracer spoke to Winston in hushed voices across from her, and both the South Korean President, South Koreas top general, and the US Ambassador stood off to the side talking with the United Kingdom and U.A.E. Ambassador.

Tracer glanced at her and she gave the pilot a somber smile. The smile was returned but the sound of the door opening caught the rooms attention, and Katya Volskaya strode in.

But she wasn't alone.

Hana's eyes went wide as… a woman, a huge woman with bright pink hair, strode in behind her. She was intimidating to say the least and was almost as large as Reinhardt.

The woman was in a well pressed suit, and carried herself with a sense of disapproval and discipline.

Her eyes met Hana's, and for a moment the gamer felt extremely small.

"Excellent, everyone is present." Volskaya stated with a smile, though there was no charm or cheer in her voice.

Hana stood straight then took her place near the South Korean Prime minister and general.

"I'm sure we all know about the unknown… agent that aided Overwatch during the battle of Vienna."

Hana frowned. She said unknown. Tracer and Winston had publicly claimed Nate as apart of Overwatch despite the fact he really wasn't.

Why was this woman claiming otherwise?

Only a handful of people knew the truth…

"You're talking about agent Nathaniel I assume?" Winston asked, his voice curious.

"Of course, it has come to my attention that he may not in fact, be as clean as we once thought."

Now Tracer stepped forward, "what're you talking about?"

"I have video proof of him being in Austrailia eliminating a group of terrorists that we had bugged to track down a branch of Talon in the area."

The Russian leader raised her hand and a holographic video appeared over her hand, and it showed Nate in all his glory.

The video continued and the man in question was through a village, gunning down women and men alike. Fortunately the children were left alone, but it was merciless.

Instinct welled up and Hana immediately wanted go speak out, but she didn't.

She thought.

And if she was being honest, she knew Nate could be brutal.

Look at what he did to Talon soldiers when he found her.

"Is he not supposed to be under your banner?" Volskaya stated, her eyes narrowed at Overwatch.

"He is," Tracer replied, her cheery voice all but gone.

"Then why was he in Australia? If I'm correct, there had been no sanctioned operation there for years."

She could feel the eyes of the politicians turn to the Overwatch reps.

This hadn't been apart of their briefing. Or of anyone's briefing.

She narrowed her eyes at Volskaya.

What was she up too?

"Nathaniel has not been to Australia I'm sure of it," Tracer responded, "our last mission was elsewhere, that much I can promise."

"Is this video fabricated?" the US Ambassador asked.

"Not to my knowledge, but considering this mans… extremism, we should at least figure out why he's in therr, and why such actions were taken against such an underwhelming force."

"Winston," the UK ambassador turned to the agent, "find out why he is off base."

The ape nodded and glanced to Tracer who in turn, walked away and pulled out a phone.

Hana sighed and looked away, her eyes taking in the night sky just beyond the glass windows.

What the hell had Nate gotten himself into now?

* * *

I rolled to my feet, smoke curling around me as I looked up.

A giant mech stepped forward, it rusted joints and worn armour creaking in the air.

"I thought you said the gang hated mechs!"

McCree yelled back to me as he reloaded his revolver, "well times a change!"

"No shit!"

I drew Last Word and-

 _Ringgggg_!

"Uh, you have a call from Tracer…"

The next raised its gun.

I blinked forward, Sol power erupting over me, "I'm a little busy at the moment!"

* * *

"He's not answering." Tracer informed them as she rejoined the small group.

"Hmmm." Volskaya pursed her lips.

"If the operative is on an unsanctioned mission…" the US Ambassador started, though his voice was more mellow than accusatory.

"He's probably just asleep," Hana interrupted.

The group's eyes turned to her, and she shrugged, "he's based in Europe, and he's probably taking a nap considering the time of day."

Winston nodded, "He is known to sleep a lot."

It was lie.

A bold faced lie, but they couldn't say Nate wasn't apart of them. The prick hadn't accepted the offer, and was still off doing his own hero thing, but they had faked his involvement to keep the governments off his back.

And of course he was still running around.

Of course, she knew he wasn't evil, and though slightly extreme in his methods, he was good at heart.

But he was an ally. A damn good one at that.

So it was no surprise Tracer and Winston were willing to bend the truth just to keep him free from suspicion.

Still…

Why was he in Australia?

She shifted her weight as the attention fell off her, and returned to watching the night sky outside as she listened.

"Even so, if this is not your man, then what if it's another like him? A secret cult?" The Russian woman continued.

She frowned.

"Maybe, but we have no idea if it is Nathaniel, and what if it is and he found something useful on Talon and is searching for them, surely that's cause for some leniency." This time it was the South Korean leader who spoke.

It was a damn good thing he was a fan of Overwatch.

He helped push their reinstatement, and was actually funding most of their current operations.

She could feel the tension grow as Volskaya retorted, but a flash of lightning stole Hana's eye.

A dark form outside.

Standing atop one of the skyscrapers across the street…

A cape fluttering in the wind and a visor reflecting the light…

She frowned.

 _Nate you ass…_

She turned on her heel, and walked over to the general who was standing by and listening to the leaders argue.

He gave her a polite nod and she motioned for him to get within ear shot.

A curious expression crossed his face and he leaned closed to which then meant she stated, "I need to be excused. Lady business."

The general's eyes widened and his nod was short before he returned his attention to the discussion.

She wasn't sure if anyone else noticed her departure but it didn't matter.

That ass was across the street!

Someone needed to put a dent in his ego.

* * *

 _Tap. Tap. Tap._

Water dropped from the edges of her hair.

 _Tap. Tap. Tap._

Her body shivered from the cool air inside the elevator, her water soaked costume making it all the worse.

 _Tap. Tap. Tap._

"Nathaniel…."

Eyes shot up to the screen next to the elevator's doors.

 _Floor fifty two…_

 _Tap. Tap. Tap._

Her teeth grit, and needless to say, Hana Song was pissed.

It had taken her at least fifteen minutes to get here, but not only that!

It had started raining the moment she stepped out of the building and crossed the street.

But it wasn't just raining.

Oh no, it had to pour!

Raining cats and dogs and elephants and every animal in existence!

But wait! Now her team was calling her, and though she said she was busy, it seems like they were adamant on finding her and making sure she was okay.

Then there was the fact Nathaniel had the gall to show up and just watch them from outside.

She huffed, and clenched her fists.

He better have a damn good reason for not only ditching, but for doing shit without Overwatchs oversight.

They had all agreed to work together.

Uh…

She was gonna give the guardian a piece of her mind.

Maybe a good punch to the face for starters.

She chuckled sinisterly.

Oh she'd get her vengeance all right.

 _Ding_!

The door opened and Hana stormed into the top floor of the building.

It had been easy getting in, the military had set up security in all the surrounding buildings of the party and Hana just had to flash her rank and name to get through.

She found the stairway easy enough and climbed the last set of stairs to the roof with enough frustration to heat up the air.

Her fingers wrapped around the door handle and she flung the door open.

The roof was large and spacious, as expected of a skyscraper but she spotted her caped friend right away.

He was standing on the edge of the roof, staring at the party.

She marched over to him, rain battering away at her clothes and skin.

"Nate!" she yelled.

No response.

She cursed under her breath and walked right up to the cape.

She reached for his shoulder, "Nate I swear yoy-"

Her hand phased right through.

She stumbled.

Her eyes went wide.

Hologram.

The construct of Nate faded.

It was a trap!

Instincts kicked in and she immediately ducked, which was fortunate as someone's heel soared through the space her head had been.

She spun on her heel, and drove her fist upwards as she went.

A gloved hand deflected her fist, and she was met with an elbow to the face.

The blow sent her reeling to the side, her feet barely managing to find enough traction to stop her fall.

She looked back towards her attacker.

The were dressed in white. A body suit of all white with black straps wrapped around their shoulders and thighs.

Muscles rippled beneath the suit, but from the attackers stance, and from the fact they drew a giant claymore of their back…

They weren't playing around

Her eyes went wide and the attacker lunged.

They were fast.

She barely managed to dodge the edge of the claymore, and though surprised by the fact they could move the sword that fast, she was able to counter.

She dove into their guard and drove a fist into their but.

It felt like hitting a wall.

The attacker simply pushed through her punch.

Only a few inches taller than her, their weight wasn't a problem, but as the attacker turned and kicked her in the gut, she narrowed her eyes.

Over half a year ago she had been at the whim of fighters better than her.

Nate. The Reaper.

She was a skilled pilot, always had been good with controls, and was amazing with her reaction time.

But that hadn't mattered back then. Not when it was a fist fight.

So she fixed that.

The moment she had returned to Korea she had started take lessons.

Hapkido lessons.

A Korean martial art that focused on using leverage and positioning to over power larger and stronger opponents.

Considering her size, she knew it was the best bet of self defense she could have.

So after months of training she had worked and worked, and now only her teacher was better than her.

But the best part?

Well, one of Hapkido's key points was rolling with an opponent's attack, dispelling the momentum and turning it against them.

So when the kick connected with her gut, she didn't resist. Pain still shot through her, but she let the momentum carry her back.

The moment the attacker legs reached its peak extension she pressed her foot back and launched herself forward.

The burst of movement caught the attacker of guard, and due to their swords massive size, their guard was full of openings.

She slipped under their defensive strike and drove her fist not into their gut, but into their shoulder; a place no one would normally defend.

The force pushed the attacker into a stumble, their weight and sword throwing them off balance from such a strange hit.

But that was the opening Hana needed.

She pressed her advantage.

She may not have been nearly as quick as Tracer or Nate, but she was nimble, and so used that to get herself on the attackers right side.

Then with deadly accuracy, she strengthened her fingers minus the thumb, and drove one hand into the attackers rib cage between the ribs.

Naturally the attacker backpedaled and swung the sword in front of them as if to deter her.

But the strike was out of panic, and Hana easily ducked and jabbed her other hand into the enemies solar plexus.

A grunt was the attackers response, but she failed to see them reverse their sword momentum.

 _Whack!_

The swords handle ran straight into her cheek, and the blow threw her to the side.

She rolled with her momentum, but still fell into a stumble. Her back hit the side of a large electrical box, and within a second her attacker was on her.

The sword was driven for her heart and out of sheer desperation she drove her palm into it's side.

The blade was deflected away from her, but the blow still slit her hand open.

Ignoring the pain she threw her body the the attacker.

The swords weight slowed their response.

She drove her shoulder into their side, and they responded with a lazy punch to her ribs.

Despite the lack of technique, they were strong as hell, and the blow not only hurt, but it pushed her to the side.

Pain lanced through her as her rib cracked.

She grunted as she caught herself from falling, and her attacker pulled back before raining the massive sword again.

Again, thanks to her size, Hana managed to sidestep the blade and again got inside her opponent's guard.

This time she struck at their joints. Four quick jabs to their solar plexus, then their carotid sinus; the sinus where the neck and head connected.

If the blow was hard enough, it could kill an opened, but she wasn't going for the killing blow.

So the blow simply set her opponent off balance, firing them back again, and obviously sent searing hot pain through them.

Their sword swung lazily to the side, her opponent shaking their head as if to clear their senses.

She shot forward, and this time, slammed the her palm into their chin for a devastating uppercut.

Their head snapped back, but to her surprise they didn't fall over, and her moment of hesitation cost her.

With terrifying speed they swung their sword around.

The blade hit, and she gasped as she back peddled, the edge slicing open her left shoulder.

Blood immediately started to flow, and she grabbed her injury in a vain attempt to cease the blood flow.

She snarled as she set a foot back, readying herself for her opponent to re-engage her.

But as rain poured around them, they just stood still.

The sword hung at their side and she tensed as their arm twitched.

And the attacker swung their sword up, and sheathed it on their back.

She blinked in confusion, but kept her guard up.

The attacker took a step forward and she took a step back.

Their hand disappeared behind their back, but then they pulled it out and held out a black tablet.

Hana blinked again.

Now she was really confused.

"I had to see if you were actually a fighter. Plenty of idols these days are talk, no bite," their voice was distorted and deep.

She didn't reply, and eyed them carefully, her every muse prepared to pounce at a moment's notice.

Seeing she wasn't going to take the tablet, the attacker put it down on the ground and stepped back.

"This will lead you to us. If you find us, then you're smart, and we need intelligent allies. Strength will not help us." the being bowed their head respectfully, and their voice lacked any hostility.

It held nothing actually. Just empty words and tones.

They turned away.

"Trust no one."

Now she was annoyed and she stepped forward, "what're you talking about?"

"Trust no one. Not Overwatch. Not the caped crusader. Not your government. Not even her."

"Her?" Hana asked, half yelling through the rain.

What was this…. person talking about?

"You''ll know when you see her. Remember who your friends are, Song."

Hana paled.

Why did it say that?

Then the being dashed forward and leapt off the skyscraper.

She had no interest of following him though.

Only questions plagued her mind.

What the hell were they talking about?

And how did they know…

How did they know what that talon agent said to her?

* * *

 **A/N**

 **And so begins the second arc of the Darkest Knight.**

 **So this chapter was a lot more focused on D'Va rather than Nate. Reason for this is because this arc has four major viewpoints: Nate, Hana, Tracer, and Genji. There will be chapter's in this arc without Hana, or Nate though. It'll all be according to the plot obviously, but just wanted to warn you guys.**

 **Nate and McCree are on their own mission of justice! I wanted to actually write this part out more, but there was no real way to do that without breaking up the flow of the story. It would've been fun, but oh well. Don't worry though! Nate and McCree will get more page time together, and we'll get to see them taking out bad guys and being jackasses.**

 **Hana's part was a bit harder to write this time around. I knew how I wanted this to end the chapter, but I couldn't figure out how to get there. Fortunately I remembered how I had mentioned Volskaya earlier in the story, and had yet to use her. I felt like, a giant party like this, which was just a face for the real meetings happening beneath the surface, would definitely attract Volskaya. And once you learn her motivations, you'll understand what's happening and why she confronted Hana and Tracer.**

 **I had initially planned for the party to be something for just friends and the like, but I felt like that was going to kill the drama of the moment and wouldn't let me faithfully introduce other big players like Volskaya. Most importantly though if Hana was surrounded by friend s why would they let her travel to the skyscraper alone? So I made it a large party which actually fit in with introducing Volskaya and showing that the Nexus is a new, threatening terrorist group.**

 **Of course adding in D'Va and Lucio's skins was just a bonus.**

 **Hana and her fight. So a problem I have with D'Va in general is that I feel like in a fist fight, she'd lose against almost anyone in the game's roster. Shes small, and doesn't seem very strong, and as I addressed in the first arc, though skilled in her next, she's not much a threat without it. After her ordeals in the first arc I felt that her learning a form of martial arts was beneficial for her in every way. So she was able to show case her new skills, and personal without how quick her reaction time must be, plus her natural affinity by with gaMing, and by extension, patterns and techniques, I feel like she would be able to almost master at least one martial art after six or seven months, especially if she builds of the training she had for basic training in the military.**

 **So a white b vv7 ninja dude or dudette. Who were they referring to when they said remember who your friends are? Obviously they told Hana not to trust anyone, including Nate and Overwatch. And who is** _ **her**_ **?**

 **Reviews:**

 **Konerok Hadorak- thanks! Glad you're enjoying the story and I hope what I have planned fills your titan soul with glee!**

 **Crazy**

 **Grim24- Okay? He's definitely not. Nate reiterates plenty of times how he feels like he owes Hana a debt, that plus the fact she's his only real friend on this planet. So I really don't get your argument, but okay.**

 **Darkblight- I agree! Hence why Dig takes longer than her normally should to decrypt things.**

 **Guest- we'll see. :)**

 **Kaythegreat- you're right they wouldn't just pass him off, but that's why the lines of Tracer, Winston and D'Va, are protecting him from persecution. They know he's a force for good, but he's a slightly wild card still, so they have to tread carefully**

 **Guest- eventually we'll get there!**

 **Lifebycreed- yeah I have an idea as to address the fuel and ammo thing, but it'll be next chapter. It didn't fit here. Also, I see light as a sort of self replenishing power, so long as the traveler exists.**

 **Bleedingangel95- thanks! I'm glad you like it!**

 **End of reviews**

 **So that's that, please leave a review and follow/favorite!**

 **You guys are great and God bless! Till next time!**

 **-Metalk4k**


	18. Chapter 18

**The Darkest Knight**

 **Part I: the Claws of Talon**

 **Chapter 17: Orders are orders**

* * *

I blinked twice as the smoke from my rifle slowly rose into the air, the bodies of deadlocks defenders laying on the floor with holes through their heads.

A blip appeared on my motion tracker and I spun on my heel, hitting the trigger as I went.

The bullet flew true and hit the last defender smack in the chest, his chest jerking back as the bullet tore through flesh and bone with ease.

I sighed and once more looked around the large warehouse, the wooden walls creaking as the air grew still and the bodies grew cold.

After breaching the front, a quick use of my arc blade, had us wiping out the first defenders within seconds.

We beat them back after that, my use of such devastating attacks in close quarters easily distracting them from the threat that was McCree.

If I was being honest, he probably had just as good aim as me, if not better.

But I wouldn't admit it to anyone.

Anyway, after we beat back about thirty or forty defenders, they finally retreated inside a warehouse, a few though left to guard their families inside a bunker further inside the canyon.

Obviously we left the families alone, but respect to those who went to protect their families instead lf their boss.

So of course we then went into the warehouse, and after about ten minutes, finished off whatever was left of their op.

It wasn't hard with McCree providing covering fire and Dig giving me live updates on their positions through their own surveillance cameras.

Apparently their cyber security was crap.

So we beat them and then we searched the place for their leader...

And of course, leave it to me to infiltrate a deadlock base, only to find out their leader was nowhere near here.

Not to mention having to kill almost every defender just because they refused to surrender.

You know in their defense they did have us outnumbered like, thirty to one, but they forgot who they were fighting.

McCree, the legendary gunslinger of Overwatch, and me, an immortal Guardian.

They shouldve known better, but hey, you can't argue with stupid.

A familiar warmth washed over me and I asked, " **you find anything?"**

" **Unfortunately no. The have to be using a paper trail, if not, then they've actually got nothing on the Nexus."** Dig replied, his voice a familiar chime in my head.

I shut my eyes, and lowered my weapon.

" **I've alerted Winston and the others to their existence. They've got enough, dirt on their servers to call for a nation wide manhunt. War profiteering, drug smuggling, black arms sales, all sorts of shit. Kinda crazy how much they've grown without Overwatches, well, overwatch. Get it?"**

" **Shut up."**

"Ya all right?"

I turned to McCree as he approached, blood staining his metal fist.

"Just peachy you?"

He gave me a shit eating grin, "peachy."

I rolled my eyes, "what about the women and kids?"

He nodded somberly as he walled over to the corpse of a Gang member, kicking the bastards foot as if to ensure he was dead, "they're fine. Hold up in one of the buildings, made sure to keep a few of the guards alive so they aint completely unprotected."

"Too bad we didn't find anything of use," I grumbled, more so for my own sake than for his.

"It ain't no worry, bastards bound to find us since we wrecked his place." McCree replied as he puffed once on his cigar "I know em, he ain't one to back down from a challenge."

I raised an eyebrow as he stared out over the warehouse, "what's his name?"

The man huffed, smoke drizzling out of his mouth as he formed a thin haze in front of him.

"His names, Daryo. Nasty bloke, with a liking to hurting people, though he's got a soft spot for kids."

I nodded, "sounds charming."

The gunslinger failed to answer and I spared one last glance at the warehouse before backtracking outside.

The footsteps of the ex Overwatch agent followed me.

The dark sky and the bright moonlight greeted me into the night.

I looked to the celestial body.

It looked beautiful from so far away.

And honestly, it was. It was beautiful, yet terrible.

A place where the darkest creatures laid in wait.

Well, at least, they had been.

On my earth.

"Enjoying the sight?"

I glanced back as the man snickered and looked up to the moon with me.

"Something like that…"

For a moment, I thought a massive bro moment was closing in, similar to the ones me and Marcus had back on Titan before…

Before the pit...

 _Ring!_

I blinked as a ringtone played through my helmets internal speakers, and I raised an eyebrow as a picture of Tracer appeared.

" **Updated your contacts with pictures. Handy right?"**

I rolled my eyes and Dig followed my mental command and answered the call.

"Nathaniel love? You there?" Tracers voice filled my ears and I winced slightly from the volume.

McCree shot me a curious glance at my movement and I held up a finger to him as I started forward.

"Yeah, whats up?"

"How soon can you get to Seoul?"

I blinked, "I thought we agreed I should avoid Seoul…"

"Just answer the bloody question."

"Probably an hour or two why?"

"Just get here. I'll send you coordinates. Hana was attacked."

My eyes narrowed, "Talon?"

"Don't know, but she said she wants you here. Won't start talking till then."

I glanced at McCree, and his eyes once more landed on me, a puff from his cigar somehow signaling his curiosity.

"Give me an hour," and with that Dig cut off the call.

I looked at the cowboy, "want a ride back to civilization?"

"Ya mean Overwatch?"

I shrugged, "if you want."

He looked to the sky and took another long puff of his cigar before replying, "nah. Still got some scores and debts to settle. Nothin' thats needs their attention."

"Suit yourself. Stay safe, Deadlocks not gonna let go what happened here." I motioned to the warehouse.

Light swirled around me, and I barely heard his final words, "Ima counting on it."

The walls of my ship filled my vision and I pulled my helmet off.

"Fire up the engines."

* * *

When Hana had set the party up she knew exactly what the real reason for it was. She knew the need for secrecy regarding the new task force.

So she had made a party, one that the President off her country was 'holding' to commemorate the official reestablishment of Overwatch. So, it has only been natural for her as the new liaison to Overwatch to send out invitations to the countries both for and neutral in the vote to establish Overwatch once more as a peacekeeping force.

In short? Over seventy countries were invited, but only around fifty showed up. To help with the cover, they had invited mega corporations like Viskar and Microsoft, and even popular celebrities like Lucio and the ageing Jennette McCurdy.

And as a final touch, she had of course added the costume part of the party. Sure not everyone had dressed up, but it helped their cover.

Now, of the countries invited, only around ten were in on the task force, specifically the U.A.E, the US, the UK, Russia, Japan, South Africa, Germany, Austria, Venezuela, and of course her own country.

But thanks to her blissfully, horrendous luck, now the tasks' forces attention was on her, wondering why one of their own had been attacked.

And so she sighed for what was probably the twentieth time in the past ten minutes as the representatives around the room discussed amonsgt themselves.

Idly her fingers drummed against the table beneath her, her eyes closed in an attempt to drown out the whispers and soft chatter around the large meeting room.

The pain in her shoulder was easier to ignore.

Her team, and well everyone else, had been rather miffed about her going out alone, but it was mostly because she was attacked… again…

But even though they were generally concerned for her well being, it was annoying when the lectured her about going places alone.

Naturally, she had wanted to shut them up by telling them what happened…

'Don't trust anyone…'

But the stranger's words…

Why did they haunt her now?

It was as if every move she made was being watched… as if every person in this room was her enemy, and her friend all at once.

So she held her tongue. She needed to see Nate, just to understand what was happening. After all he was from another world, at the very least he had to have some insight on what was happening right?

She shook her head, and caught a glimpse of her team sitting off to the side. Marques gave her a small smile and Ava waved.

A small grimace was her only reply.

She felt guilty. She knew they only wanted to help, they had been with her for years, if Claire was here-

'Don't trust anyone.'

But why?!

Why not trust anyone?

And why did that… person say those words!

'Remember who your friends are. '

She grit her teeth, and her foot tapped impatiently.

Where the hell was Nate?!

"You seem, very, uneasy Ms. Song." the voice of Katya Volskaya filled the once gamers ears again and she frowned before looking up at the woman.

She shifted her weight and grimaced as her shoulder throbbed, "you would too, if your shoulder got cut open."

The woman only smiled in response, the light never reaching her eyes, "of course, forgive me for my rudeness, but I must express my excitement at meeting our mutual friend."

A small, almost unnoticeable grin plastered itself upon Volskayas face.

If Hana hadn't known better, maybe she wouldn't have let herself grow nervous at the grin, if it had been a year ago, she would've never even noticed it.

But after the things she went through, she was far more observant than before.

So when the grin appeared, she narrowed her eyes and leaned forward, ignoring the pain and the worried gazes from her team.

"What do you want with Nate?" Her voice was low, and controlled so only the two of them could hear.

Katya obviously knew more than she was letting on, and no way in hell was Hana gonna let her get away with it.

The Russian smiled, "now, vhy are so defensive child?"

She grit her teeth and shot back, "because you're not telling us everything, and if you're working with Talon-"

It was a if a switch was flipped.

Katays grin disappeared, and an icy, dangerous demeanor took over her entire person.

"Never accuse me of vorking vith such filth."

Emotional eh? Hanas thoughts echoed in her skull and she grinned, knowing she now had the Russian on the defensive.

"Then why act out to get him in trouble? We both know he's against Talon, so why try to frame him?" Hanas words were soft and pointed, but she finished with a smug grin, "hiding something _Katya_?"

The usage of her name, the clear action of Hana verbally spitting on Katyas earlier sentiments of friendship made the older woman take a step back.

"Be very careful of vhat you say Ms. Song. Not everyone is as… understanding as Overvatch."

It was subtle, but the threat was clear.

But that didn't deter Hana. In fact, it proved her own point. Katya was definitely hiding something, and if her threat was worth anything…

Well, Hana was smart enough to know when to stop.

So she simply glared and sat back, allowing Katya a smug nod which accompanied the woman's departure.

She failed to notice the calculated gaze of the large, pink haired woman across the room.

Hana glanced at the tablet on the table.

It had yet to be turned on, and under the advisement of Wonston, it was going to stay that way.

She couldn't disagree however, after all, it was given to her by someone who had attacked her.

Her eyes turned to the Overwatch group, which now consisted of Lena, Winston, Mei, and Angela.

She was unsure where the others were.

Well except for Nate of course who-

A flash of light filled the room, and though it was bright enough to make her squint, she forced herself to see.

White, pixelated light tool the shape of a man, and from head down, he simply appeared.

A cape billowed for a moment, and the fact that he was unknown by most in the room made it quite the spectacle for those souls.

However, Hana Song was not one of those souls.

So instead of staring in blatant awe like her friends, or in clear distrust and contempt like Volskaya, she hopped out of her chair and stepped right up to the Guardian without any hesitation.

The light faded entirely, leaving only the man in armor, and she frowned at him before jamming her fist into his arm.

Of course it wasn't real hard, but it was enough to get her point across.

"That's for ditching the party." She furrowed her brow as his head turned to her.

She could imagine Nate roll his eyes as he spoke, "oh come on, I was busy!"

"Doing vhat exactly?"

Not even a minute, and Volskaya had to speak.

Hana didn't bother to hide her glare as the woman stepped forward, "how do ve know you veren't apart of anything… less than legal."

The gamer saw the change in Nates body language almost instantly.

His shoulders rose, his fingers clenched, and he turned his entire body to face the Russian.

"Because if I was, I wouldn't be here right now." His voice lost its jollity, and the pink haired woman stepped forward, her arms crossed and her head raised.

Though despite the hostility, and the obvious air of tension, it was the United States ambassador that stood up from his seat and raised his hands, "I feel like we should take this down a notch. After all he's here at the request of Ms. Song after all, and she was the one who was attacked."

Instantly Winstons voice followed, "whatever actions our agent if accused of can be addressed later, for now lets see what Ms. Song has to say."

Volskaya gave a curt nod and stepped back as if to show her agreement, and instantly all eyes turned to her.

"So…" Nate started, "what did happen?"

Now, having a room full of eyes on her wasn't a new experience, heck she used to have thousands of eyes on her when she used to stream, but having it be a group of the most powerful and well respected people in the world actually made her nervous.

She with a hard swallow, and a few quick taps of her foot she huffed out, "I was attacked."

Immediately Mate mlvex to speak but she glared at him and continued, "it wasn't Talon."

"You're sure love?" Tracer asked from across the room.

Hana nodded, "very."

"Then who?" Nate asked, the man turning to face the window.

She sighed and rubbed her forehead, "some, man… he was dressed in all white and he used a claymore like it was a toothpick."

"Toothpick?" she heard Marques mumble from afar, though she ignored him.

"He had a hologram of you." she looked at Nate, and though he was facing away she knew he was listening.

"Why have a hogram of him?" the voice of the UK ambassador added.

She shrugged, but then Volskaya spoke up, "because they vanted to draw you out."

"Obviously, question is why?" Nate stated, once more turning around and placing his hands on the table as he looked at the people gathered.

"Gather intel on our forces?" the South Korean president spoke up.

"Doesn't line up," Winston head, "they could have just kidnapped her, or anyone who's more of a low profile. Why risk getting the attention of all of us?"

"What do you think a ploy? Distraction?" Kolden spoke up, the first from her team to enter the conversation.

"Doubt it. Gibraltar's secure, and by this point at least one of us-"

Ring! Ring!

Nates words died in his mouth, and all eyes turned to Volskaya as the woman looked down at her pocket.

She blinked a few times before pulling out the phone and answering in Russian.

Her face instantly paled before her face contorted in a stern anger.

"Guess I spoke too soon…" Nate huffed and Hana somberly nodded.

As if on cue Volskaya pulled the phone away and took a deep calming breath, "one of our laboratories has gone offline."

She nodded to the pink haired woman, then continued, "please keep me informed of anything that presents a threat to my people."

And without so much as a farewell or goodbye, Katya Volskaya turned and promptly exited the room, the large woman following her without a word.

Hana blinked once before Nate spoke up once more, "that was oddly well timed…"

The silence of the room was enough to prompt a word from Lena, "it doesn't really matter. What does matter, is why she was attacked."

"They said something about… not trusting anyone. How they needed smart people and not strong people?" Hana added, though she frowned, unsure of whatever it was her attacker had wanted…

 _Remember who your friends are Song…_

She grit her teeth.

"We'll talk about cryptic. A cult maybe?" the US Ambassador asked.

Angela Ziegler was the one to answer this time, "not likely. Cults are something you find or are born into… and none would target someone with such a high profile."

"So terrorist group then right?" it was Nate.

"Not like one i've ever seen. Heck, no one at the CIA, MI6, or even the Chinese even knows how Talon recruits. If this is a new group, then they're even more secretive than Talon so we have no leads, if this is one." the United Kingdom's top general, who up to this point hasn't spoken a word.

Then a cough from the Ambassador of the Republic of Venezula, "why so much trouble over a simple girl? She may be famous, but why would they spend resources on her? And then again why should we?"

It wasn't an insult, but an honest question.

One Hana, despite her nerves and annoyance at the whole situation, could completely understand.

"Hold up-" Nate started, but Winston's low voice covered his as the ape interrupted, "Ms. Song is vital not only to the South Korean Mekka unit as one of its top Captains, but also as a liaison to Overwatch."

"Not to forget her seat on the new task force." the South Korean President added.

The ambassador raised his hands, "I'm not trying to start a fight, I'm simply pointing out a fact."

The room grew quiet as he continued.

"Mrs. Song is very high profile. Whoever is after her obviously does not care about our intervention, or simply is ignorant of who is allied with her. Officially and personally."

It was a well known rumour that D'Va was apparently a member of Overwatch, or that she was a double agent working for Overwatch, or that she was dating someone in Overwatch… and those were the rumours not involving Nate.

She frowned.

It was then the ambassador from the U.A.E. spoke, "and what is your point?"

The born and breed Venezuelan sighed before putting his hands together, "its no secret that Overwatches return was a popular move for the public. However, politically we are on very shaky ground, and one flaw could ruin all of us and send Overwatch back into disarray. None of us have the resources to deal with this, Overwatch is trailing the Nexxus, and with so few personal and scarce resources we can't expect them to try and hunt another terrorist group when they can barely handle two."

The fact that neither Winston nor Tracer refuted the claim made Hana grow uneasy.

What was the man getting at?

"Russia is dealing with another crisis, we've had two violent protests in Venezuela this week, the UK is still under investigation for the Mondatta incident, the US is dealing with a massive recession and the ride of Los Muertos in their borders, and the list goes on and on. None of us have the resources to dare to go on a worldwide manhunt."

There were a few somber nods to that.

"So what's your point?" Nate asked, his voice far more monotone than Hana was used too.

"We don't have the resources to handle this, but, we can instead lay a trap."

"What do you mean a trap?" Tracer narrowed her eyes.

"We put her into hiding. Whoevers after her is obviously smart enough to know how to track her, so we let them, and when they come for her…" his voice died off.

Then the General, her general, General Ho-Ting nodded in confirmation, " then spring the trap."

"Exactly we waste less resources and don't have to devote unnecessary manpower to a manhunt."

"Wait so we want to use her as bait?"

She blinked in confusion as eyes turned to her team. She had been ready to protest the idea herself, but the idea of someone doing it for her was comforting at least.

"Yes."

Kolden, and by extension the rest of her team looked taken aback by the such a straight answer.

"So how would we do it?" asked the rep from the US.

The UK ambassador then spoke up, "I have personal connections with plenty of people in MI6, we can find a safe house."

"No, a safe house will just tip them off," General Ho-Ting shook his head.

She cleared her throat, "I dont-"

But her words were accidentally drowned poor by Winston, "if we do this it needs to look authentic."

"Authentic?" it was Nate scoffing, and her heart soared, "we need to outsmart a group that managed to infiltrate the security at what's probably the most heavily guarded building in the eastern hemisphere, it needs to be more than authentic."

Her heart dropped. Was he agreeing they use her as bait?

"Nate, I don't-"

Again she was interrupted, this time by the South African President, "this group we are after, they must have deep connections. We would have to tread carefully."

And then Hana felt the familiar heat of anger bubbling up inside, and-

 _Wham_!

All eyes turned to her as her hand throbbed from being slammed on the table.

"I'm not bait."

Her words were cold and she stood up, leaning forward as she rested her hands on the table before her.

"Somebody attacked me on our doorstep and we're trying to make a game out of it?"

Then, the last person she expected to speak, did.

Nate stepped forward, "Hana they're not asking you to be apart of some game. Being bait, though risky, is a move everyone has to make sometime. Hell, I've done it."

"So what?" she snapped, glaring at the taller not alien dude, "because you've done it, I should too? I should lay down and let the enemy come after me without any sort of a fight?"

"Love, no one's saying that."

"Then what else does bait mean?" She hissed, silencing Tracer with a glare.

"I'm not sitting down and letting anyone do anything for me. Not again."

She noticed Nate look away, and she felt oddly glad he did. Prick was trying to use her as bait…

"Then what do we do Ms. Song?"

It was Winston who spoke.

She locked her lips with anticipation as he continued, "we don't have the manpower to properly search for your attackers. Aside from Nathaniel, who's our lead agent on the Nexus case, we have no one else to spare. This is the last thing we want, but what else can we do?"

She threw her hands up, "we search for them! Hunt them down! I can do it myself if I need too! Just give me my team and a plane."

"Hana-"

"Actually," the attention turned to Nate, who then continued, "it's not a bad idea."

She blinked at him.

He sent her a small nod, something of an apology, though she'd still have to smack him for even thinking she'd go along with being bait.

"Eight months ago I started a manhunt against Talon, and by myself, without regulations and oversight, and not only was to help Hana, but we were able to track Talon. And that was only two of us."

"Helped?"

They looked at Kolden who shook his head, "you stabbed her dude…"

"Yeah, how the fuck does that count as helping? Please explain." Marques stood up and crossed his arms.

Nate shifted his stance and crossed his arms, "it's not as simple as I stabbed her and wanted her dead. If I did want her dead, she would be."

The statement wasn't unfamiliar to her but it still made her spine shiver.

"Don't threaten her, " Marques growled and a swirl of electricity ran over Nates arm.

The Guardian didn't say a word, but Marques gulped as he say the light travel over Nate.

"Stop getting your panties in a twist," Lena huffed before looking at Hana, "go on love."

She gave the operative a grateful nods then continued, "my team and a plane. We can… find out who's hunting me, maybe even track down nexus while we're at it."

There was nod from at least three people though the Venezuelan ambassador spoke with was obvious hesitancy, "Ms. Song, If we did this we would have to do this without UN support. A trap means we can support you, but otherwise if we try to help you, we could tip off whoever it is hunting you.

"What about a military leave?"

Again, the rooms attention returned to Kolden.

He pushed up his glasses and took a deep breath before speaking, "we can uh, use leave of absence to explain why we're gone."

Marques nodded, his eyes grow bright, "yeah think about it! After what happened with Hana and Claire… we could use a leave. Some time to get ourselves fresh air so to speak."

More nods.

"We'd be out in the open with the perfect reason, so no one would be the wiser and tp add onto that, we'd be free of any normal military operation rules which would give us a better chance of digging up whoevers after her."

Ava then stated with a smile, "and she have us! We keep her safe!"

Hana beamed at the thoughts, maybe they could-

"But it's risky."

Her eyes once more turned to her once savior as he spoke, "even with you guys there you'd lack access to your mechs, then to add onto it, if this person was simply trying to get to Hana, what's to stop them from killing all of you?"

"We can take care of ourselves." Marques narrowed his eyes.

Nate shook his head, "clearly."

Hana rolled her eyes and retorted, "we can take precautions and we'll have a bug out plan just in case."

"I dont-"

Ring!

Silence shook the room as everyone looked at the general.

Of all people, he was the one least expected to have a ring that could interrupt such a meeting.

But judging from the frown across his face, Hana knew that whatever happened couldn't be good.

The General cleared his throat, "I apologize for the interruption but I must take this."

"Mwo?" He asked as he placed the phone against his ear and started towards the door.

From his lack of urgency she knew it wasn't anything too grave, so she ignored his footsteps and turned back to the others.

"Like I was saying, a bug out plan. It's be easier too-"

"Song."

She blinked as the her and looked directly at him.

He was standing next to the door, his hand holding it open as a look of utter bewilderment crossed his weathered features.

"You and your team come with me now. Gentlemen and Ladies I apologize but we must cut this meeting short. Something has happened…"

She asked, "what happened?"

"No fucking way…" the voice of Nate was but background noise as he too mustve heard the new via Dig.

Whatever it was, short of a world war or attack on their president who was sitting five fest from her, there was nothing that could-

"Lieutenant Claire Hottette is alive."

Her world froze.

Definitely not what she expected.

* * *

Hana stepped through the front doors of the headquarters of the military installation named 'Fort Moon-Jae', named after the President that led them through the omnic crisis.

It was the largest base in Korea, housing at least twenty thousand troops along with the 31st battalion of the United States armed forces.

It also housed half of the Mekka battalion, including her unit, and though she didn't live here, she spent enough time here that she might as well have.

Headquarters itself was a five story building with gray walls, giant 200 millimeter bullet proof windows, and slick paint and tile to give the place a futuristic aesthetic.

Amongst the regular population of Seoul it was commonly nicknamed "the actors hide out", because its appearance looked far more fitting for a bunch of actors rather than their military forces.

However, none of this registered as Hana, quite literally shoved several reporters and officers out of her way as she pushed through the crowd.

Her brow was furrowed, her eyes wide with grief, and her cheeks flushed with stress.

Yet those signs failed to stop the ever resilient reporters and a few shoved their microphones towards her.

"Ms. Song, did you know she was alive?" one asked in Korean.

She knocked the mic of the womans hand.

Another stepped forward, barring her passage.

"Is it true you and Claire-"

This time she utilized her fighting technique, jammed a palm in his chest, grabbed his arm and spun him back into the crowd.

But as she continued, a third intelligent reporter shoved both mic and camera in front of her.

"Hana Song, rumors are spreading that-" she never let the woman finish and simply drove her shoulder into the woman's chest, forcing her aside as she emerged on the other side of the sea of reporters.

She took in a few breaths as her eyes landed on the blonde hair, and fair skin.

On a pilot almost as deadly as her, and a soul too innocent and kind for the world it was born into.

A man, an admiral of their navy had an arm wrapped over her shoulders, a thick leather coat wrapped around her as he spoke to the press.

As they, spoke to the press, surrounded by soldiers and armed guards.

It was impossible…

She had held her friend's body when her last breath left her.

She had seen the blood and the hole in her chest, and there was no way-

"Hana?"

She blinked away her thoughts and brown eyes met green.

She saw the eyes that she had sworn were once lifeless. She had seen the blood.

She wouldn't cry.

She couldn't.

"Claire…"

She was D'Va. Hana Song. She wasn't weak.

Tears were…

Were…

"Hana…" Claire smiled, and tears formed in the blonde's eyes.

….more powerful than blood, and so Hana burst forward just as her best friend did.

The slammed into one another, Hana finally releasing a sob as tears spilled through her eyelids, and shivers wracked her body.

Claire, her best friend in the world tightened her hug, the blonde's own face contorted in barely controlled emotion and she shivered, "Hana you're alive…"

D'Va let out a choked bark of laughter, and pulled back, though never releasing her friend.

"You died…" Hana choked out.

"And you got yourself kidnapped." Claire lightheartedly chuckled.

If it had been anyone else she would've snapped or yelled, but… it was Claire.

Her… dead, not dead, best friend.

Hana simply shook her head, releasing her friend even as reporters tried to swarm them, though fortunately soldiers held them back.

She used the back of her wrist to wipe her face, not caring for the ruined mascara and blush as she asked the question on everyone's mind, "how?"

Claire smiled, a sad and somber one, and her lips opened only for another voice to interrupt.

"Mary and Joseph, Claire you're alive!" A large form of testosterone flew by Hana and enveloped the smaller blonde in a bear crushing hug.

The pilot stepped back a hair as Marques literally twirled them around.

"Hot damn…" Koldens voice softened from disbelief next to her.

She nodded as another tear rolled free, and she silently cursed her own body for being weak.

"A very pleasant surprise indeed."

It was Julian who spoke, and the quiet, well mannered man held a truly dazzling smile on his face as he crossed his arms from his place on the other side of her.

She nodded in agreement as Marques let down a laughing Claire.

Of course it was Kolden who steppes forward and though not one for real physical affection, Claire still enveloped the awkward boy in a warm hug.

He blinked in confusion and barely returned it as she pulled back.

"Hi Kolden."

Hana only smiled harder as Kolden replied, "it's damn good to see you."

Then Jullian was next, a half bow of respect towards Claire before the two embraced in a mutually warm and welcoming hug.

Claire released the last member of their team and Hana noticed the Admiral and General Ho-Ting whispering to one another far off to the side of the room.

It was good the soldiers were holding the damned reporters back.

She sent a quick glare at the tide of looking back at Claire.

The blonde sighed with a smile, her tears flowing once more as she started, "I know you guys are wondering what happened…"

"Fuck yeah," Marques laughed, "but whatever it is, I'm just damned happy to see you!"

Claire laughed.

It was cheerful and lively, and it was as if the very room itself grew just a bit brighter when she did.

"Trust me, I'm just glad im not dead, but… well, I'm alive because of the Admiral." the blonde nodded towards the Naval officer and she received a curt nod before the Admiral and General resumed their discussion.

But Hana, no matter how happy stepped forward, "but… I saw you…"

Her smile started to fade.

Claire nodded with pursed lips, rolling her eyes to keep obvious tears at bay, "yeah. Yeah, but. I guess I was dead. But, he had an experimental nanite drug. He hit me with it when I was in the ambulance."

"Oh shit I remember the general hopping in with you!" Marques's eyes went wide, "I just thought he was trying to escape!"

Claire shook her head, "No he just-"

 _Trust no one._

Hana blinked as the words resonated in her head.

"-based of Mercys tech. He was gonna propose lives trials to the General after the when I got shot… well, it's not like anything worse could happen."

Hana shook her head, "but shy-"

"Didn't I come back?" Claire's smile once more settles the fear in all their hearts.

Both Kolden and Hana nodded and took a deep breath before putting her hand to her chest.

She opened her palm upward and then-

 _Zipp_!

Electricity ran through her fingers and an amused grin slapped itself onto her face.

"Holy lord…" Marques gasped, his large hands running through his hair.

"There were some… complications…" Claire sheepishly smiled before closing her hand and silencing the electricity.

"Wow…" Hana mumbled, truly amazed.

Apparently it was just her luck to attract the extraordinary.

"Yeah," Claire nodded, "I really wanted to get in contact but until I was in the clear, the Admiral forbade it."

The blonde looked back at the Admiral and they followed her gaze as she informed them, "he's not gonna get off easy though. Generals pissed."

"Oh yeah," Marques chuckled, "but shit! You're back! Let's go get some drinks!"

Hana smiled softly, "Marques, I'm pretty sure Claire's tired, after all it's not everyday you come back from the dead."

"Nah, I could use a shot or two." Claire smiled, her eyes switching from Hana to Marques.

The boy opened his mouth to speak, but the voice of the general interrupted him, "Captain Song. Lieutenant Hottette."

General Ho-Ting, flanked by two soldiers, stood behind the group, having silently approached them as they spoke amongst themselves.

His face was completely expressionless, and the fact the admiral was no longer around sent a pang of fear through Hana's chest.

"The rest of you, go home. Report to the barracks tomorrow by 0800. Ensure that you inform Private Cho."

Hana blinked and finally realized that Ava wasn't with them.

The generals silence and firm gaze signaled the appropriate time for their departure and with hesitant goodbyes the male members of Hanas team walked away.

Once they were gone, and with the reporters still held at bay, the General motioned for them to follow.

The two girls exchanged a glance and Claire shrugged before following.

Hana frowned.

Leave it to her best friend to be so nonchalant about getting in trouble.

And so she followed.

The trip was up and short, where both girls soon found themselves in the general's office, sitting in two chairs laid before his desk.

The man gave each of them a concerned glare before sighing and removing his hat, and running a tired hand through his hair.

"I will say this, your return is unprecedented Lieutenant. Granted, it is nothing short of a miracle, but Admiral Sun-sin was defying blatant chain of command for his own personal experiments that had yet to be approved by anyone, despite your new found… abilities."

Hana held her tongue and glanced at her friend who simply looked at her feet.

"There is also the matter of Private Cho. She has been your placement for months, and though you are back, we have no Mekka unit for you to fill. Then we have the ordeal of Ms. Songs attack."

"Attack?" Claire looked up at that, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"The details we will leave out, but yes, Captain Song was attacked tonight."

The blonde glanced at the Star Craft champion, and with a fake grandiose Hana gestured to her wounded shoulder.

"I didn't even notice…" guilt leaked from Claire's voice and Hana was prepared to respond, but the General spoke first.

"Now. Considering your… circumstances, both of your death and revivement, and with the Admirals report on your current state, we, the Admiral and I, have both discussed and come to an agreement for your current whereabouts."

He sighed and the girls simply waited before he continued, "though technically dead for at least five to ten minutes, you were revived by military technology and held at an installation for your benefit, considering your new abilities. With this in mind, you are to stay on base without leave while we assign medical personal to clear you and your new abilities."

Hana was the first to respond, "Sir, isn't that-"

His glare choked her words down, and she simply closed her mouth and looked away.

"In accordance with this, Captain Song and her team will be permitted to have you on as a backup member for the current Mekka unit. You are to stay with your team at all times, and when the medical teams have cleared you then we'll see about re-instating you and allowing you leave."

Claire nodded somberly but Hana simply clenched her fists.

"More detailed instructions will be delivered to you tomorrow at the barracks. Arrive with your former team at 0800. Any questions?"

Though Claire kept her mouth shut and simply nodded, Hana spoke up, "sir, why are we holding Claire? We know her…"

General Ho-Ting narrowed his eyes at her, "nothing you are cleared for Ms. Song."

Now _that,_ pissed her off.

"Not cleared for?" she grit her teeth and stood from her seat, "sir, I'm our liaison to Overwatch, I'm Captain of the 11th Mekka team, apart of-"

"Enough," the General's words were quiet, but devastatingly commanding.

"Go home Captain. You're both dismissed."

The General's face never faltered and after a moment, Hana realized his patience was wearing thin.

He was a nice man, good at heart, but he wasn't chosen as General for his niceties.

So she simply saluted, "sir," then dropped her arm and calmly walked out, Claire repeating her departure though with far more anxiety.

As the they continued down the hall, towards the elevators where two soldiers were stationed, Claire walked faster to matched Hanas stride and stated, "good to know, he's still a butt…"

The Liaison smirked, before glancing at her friend.

The blonde blinked, "what?"

"It's good to have you back."

Claire blinked, her eyes growing wide as if being caught off guard before smiling, "its good to be back."

Hana smiled as they reached the elevator.

Her best friend was back.

 _Don't trust her…_

Goodness, how many people got to experience such a miracle?

 _Don't trust her…_

Like her best friend was saved! Sure the Admiral had done it without permission, but after all it was because the results were utterly astounding!

 _Don't trust her…_

Only Mercy from Overwatch had tech even close to this, and yet they had surpassed her!

 _Don't trust her…_

Her smile held firm.

It was a miracle.

 _Don't..._

Right?

* * *

Hana walked into her apartment, her hand absently flicking on the light switch.

Her lips pursed and for a moment her eyes wandered.

It was a small one bedroom apartment with a balcony. Simple and nice.

Only Claire had ever been here… she didn't like people coming over.

Not here.

She may have been famous, an idol for people and a Captain, but… at least here, in her home, she wanted to.. to be…

She shook her head and went to her kitchen.

Whenever they hung out, it was always Marques's place they went too. He had been smart and managed to save up for a house on the outskirts of downtown. It was very lively and modern, and screamed 'party central'. His kitchen literally had a soft drink dispenser!

Her kitchen on the other hand had a microwave and toaster, dark peach walls and a few oak cabinets.

She did really like toast.

With a flick of her wrist she tossed her keys onto the counter and swung her fridge open.

She had never been much of cook, but she did pride herself in the few simple dishes she knew, courtesy of her mother.

But right now, she simply grabbed a bottle of Chamisul, which conveniently lay between two packs of Mountain dew, and a half eaten bar of Hershey's chocolate.

Chamisul, a brand of Soju, tasted a lot like Vodka but water down and far sweeter.

It was her favorite drink, and was the best thing whenever she needed to 'drown away' any unpleasant thoughts.

She popped the lid off and took a large gulp, the drinks sweet taste pleasantly massaging her taste buds till the burn of alcohol hit her throat like a small fire.

And despite the time, 4. A.M. to be precise,she knew this was what she needed, not sleep.

She choked out a cough and closed the fridges' door.

Clearing her throat she made her way to her living room, a small space with a single loveseat and coffee table, polished wooden floors and a 30' flat screen.

Lacking any sort of grace, akin to that of a drunken sloth, Hana tossed herself onto the couch.

She kicked her shoes off and after taking a chunk of the chocolate into her mouth, someone managed to turn on the TV.

Of course it was the news, and of course it was about Claire's return.

She frowned and changed the channel.

Yes, STARZ movie network. She didn't recognise the movie, but considering the first scene she saw was a monsterish alien killing some poor dude in derelict ship she was dedicated to finishing it.

So the scenes began to flow by, Hana's eyes glued to the screen as her Sci Fi bone was tickled to her heart's content.

Every now and then a swig of Soju from the bottle and a crunch of the chocolate in her mouth pierced the ambience, but otherwise it was peaceful.

Finally the movie began to draw to a close, the scene showing that the Captain of the ship was slowly losing his mind to a split personality, and the main characters were valiantly fighting against him to survive.

Her eyes were glued to the screen.

Her heart racing.

The scene escalated. Action and suspense all in one.

A flash of light.

The Captain on the screen stabbed the woman, and the man grabbed a needle, preparing to stab the insane Captain in the eye-

 _Thunk, thunk thunk!_

"Shi-bal!" she cursed, jumping in her seat from the sound at her balcony.

She glanced to the glass doors and blinked a few times as she tried to see through the small crack in the curtains.

It would've been impossible to mistake the armored boots and cape for anyone else.

Still, after today, with her attack and Claire… no one could blame her for being on edge.

So silently she set her drink and chocolate down and reached under the couch where she had hidden a M9 pistol.

The cold metal was a welcome feeling and she pulled it out and to her.

She carefully stood and slid against the door, inching her way to the crack in the curtains-

"Hana, I know you're in there, come on open up. I brought drinks." Nates voice was slightly muffled but the tinge of annoyance lacing his voice was unmistakably his.

 _Clink_.

He definitely had drinks too.

She sighed and drew the curtains back revealing the Guardian in armored glory holding what were obviously two american beers in his hand.

He motioned to the beers as if they were some god send and she rolled her eyes before unlocking and opening the glass doors.

"Come on." She huffed, turning back to get her drink as the Guardian entered.

"Nice place. Views great too, fifth floor balconies are the best." she heard him compliment as he entered.

She grabbed her drink and gently tossed the firearm on the couch, and looked back at him as she took another drink of the Soju.

"Oh. Already got a drink. More for me." and the Guardians armor vanished as he closed the balcony doors.

She sighed and rubbed her eye. She was tired, and well, slightly buzzed if her blurry vision was anything to go by.

And with power of alcohol came the revelation that her normal inhibitions were slightly… less.

"Funny. What do you want? She deadpanned at Nates statement.

The man blinked, a hint of confusion in his eyes before he simply shrugged and leaned against her wall as he popped open on of his drinks, careful to place the cap in his jeans.

"What'd Claire say?"

Her glare made the man obviously uneasy and he gulped.

"None of your business."

He nodded.

"Then… how're you doing?" He asked, his voice far more gentle than normal.

She narrowed her eyes at him, simultaneously taking a drink from her bottle and relishing the burn in her throat.

"Fine. Just peachy," she waved her free hand and turned to her couch, "and besides it's 4 in the morning…"

He scoffed, " as if you were asleep."

"Creep." She hissed, her voice dark and lacking its normal energy.

She blinked at the hostility in her own voice.

She wasn't trying to be mean… at least… she didn't think she was…

Was she?

"I was making sure you didn't get attacked again. Seems to me people like to attack you for whatever reason." His voice held its usual sarcasm and she could imagine his smirk.

"Isn't it a bit creepy that you just stood on my balcony?" she asked, throwing her head back to look at him.

He rolled his eyes, "I was there for like twenty seconds calm down."

Suddenly her eyes grew wide, "wow that's twenty times more than… well, I haven't seen you atl all, so it's a lot of time actually."

Again the man shrugged, "I got busy."

Anyone, God or man, Insect or beast, could've told you that in that exact instant, Nathaniel made a mistake.

Something inside brunette eyes and in an instant the smaller girl was right up in the Guardian's face.

"Busy?" she asked, her voice unnervingly soft.

He blinked, confusion crossing his face.

"Too busy to talk to a friend?"

"It's not like-"

"Not like what? Its not like we fought an evil terrorist organization, or stopped Talon from eradicating the United Nations. Or you not get fucking raped by a sick bastard!" She said, her teeth sealed together and her eyes burning with silent rage.

Again the man blinked, "You're drunk. You-"

"I what?" She asked crossing her arms, "need to calm down? Need to take a seat? Go to bed? What else oh wise Guardian?"

He frowned, "Hana you know-"

"Know what? That you say words and act like you're my friend, then disappear?"

"Oh come the fuck on." His eyes grew hard and he stepped forward, "grow the fuck up Hana."

She blinked, taken aback by his words.

"You act like you're the only one who has fucling problems in the wolrd? What about me? Or Lena? Or the person living below you? You think we don't have it rough?"

It was silent for a moment

"Rough?" her voice managed. "They tried to rape me…"

A single tear ran down her face.

"They tortured me… I lost my best friend… and that's, rough?"

"Yes," he snalled, "rough. You think you're the only one to lose someone you love?"

"I didn't lose someone," she said and he opened his mouth to reply, "I lost my only family."

He narrowed his eyes.

"I lost Claire, I lost myself, they hurt me and strung me up, and the one person they saw it, that saw… me… didn't even bother to say hello…"

His eyes grew wide and again he was interrupted, "Nate, you were my friend… you said we were friends, and that you trusted me. Yeah, you saved me, but you didn't help me. But when you suddenly need to know something you come knocking."

"Hana-"

"Don't." she mumbled looking away, "just… don't."

"It's not like that. I just… look, this whole thing doesn't feel right, first you're attacked then Claire, now-"

"Claire? That's why you came."

It was a statement, and anyone could've seen what remained of her composure broke inside.

"Well obviously its-"

"Leave."

He blinked.

"Han-"

"Leave," she turned away and she took another massive gulp of her drink.

"I-"

"Now."

She was facing her TV again. The credits of the movie rolling as she heard the man's footsteps.

The creak of her balcony doors announced his departure.

And a flash of light signaled the finality of it.

So she took another drink and stared at the credits.

It was quiet.

She was tired.

He was a dick.

A false friend

Don't trust anyone, not even the caped crusader…

She had had plenty of them.

 _Don't_ ….

But not her squad… not the people who were still there even after she shut them out.

... _trust_ …

He helped her out once. Saved her. She knew that.

…. _anyone_ …

But he wasn't a friend. He was just someone who used someone when he needed help.

She had been his bait at one point.

 _Dont_ …

She got that now. Logically it made sense.

…. _trust_ …

So she owed him. So she'd repay him

…. _anyone_.

Then she'd never have to deal with him again

The credits finished on the TV.

Her bottle was empty.

 _Crash_!

She hated that TV anyway.

* * *

I looked at the stars as the morning rain fell around me.

It reminded me of the mornings on the tower.

Half the time Kathy had woken us up early to run drills or some other crap that annoyed me.

Still, even then, it was beautiful.

Just like right now.

But it felt hollow still.

Maybe that's why I was only a few buildings away from Hana's place.

There was…

Back at the Tower, relationships were important. You had to know and trust your team, your fellow Guardians.

But civilians, I never knew.

Only those in war and death.

Hana was the first person I befriended, I trusted, in this world.

But…

I hadn't done anything.

I just.. went to the next mission.

Like even when Kathy died I had just.. well, I went back to the tower and tried to move on.

You know? I hit the next mission, kept fighting the Hive, and the Vex and… and…

"Lena's on the line."

I jumped at Digs voice.

He'd been quiet.

Maybe, she was right. Maybe I was. I mean, I did… did…. But no she was wrong. She acted all like, the whole world was against her, but I mean we all have shit. And akf wo we...a zh just…. Have… ugh!

"Whats she need?"

"Wants to know if Hanas safe and If you got any info on Claire."

I blinked.

Like I even checked on her and… sure it was an assignment, but like, I came because…

Because…

"Tell her she's fine. I'll see at Gibraltar in a day."

Dig didn't reply.

I just…

Fuck.

I don't know.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **And I'm back! Sorry it took a while. October is hell for marching band, like, super super busy,that and working? Like, damn.**

 **Anyway, here's this chapter.**

 **Initially this chapter was supposed to end with Claire's revelation, it was supposed to introduce another villain, and was supposed to have a more… positive interaction between Nate and Hana.**

 **But after rewriting several parts of this, and rewriting the plot (only minor stuff) of Part II and III, I wanted something more… human.**

 **The last Part had a lot of things happen, and we never saw Hana really, react to what happened. This, and last chapter, should show you shes been bottling and compartmentalizing.**

 **It also address the fact that Nate, is… well, messed up. Like, he has issues still, and he's not even close to perfect. Sure he's a Guardian, but I remind you, he's a young Guardian, who also lost kinda everything.**

 **Their argument was meant to happen later, but with all the emotional turmoil that Hana went through in literally one night, then add a lot of alcohol, and you get someone who's been bottling up her feelings to spill.**

 **Also, in their fight, they're both right, and both wrong. Its an argument after all, one between two hurt people.**

 **IT'S NOT ROMANTIC.**

 **Again…**

 **IT'S NOT ROMANTIC.**

 **Like, Hana has a point. He spouted all this shit last Part and then… nothing. He doesn't even talk to her for months.**

 **And since he's the only who really knows all that happened, that means he left her alone to deal with her stress and her own form of PTSD.**

 **No one would be happy with that.**

 **Anyway, Claires here, and next chapter we get Nate moving on more leads and more of what happens now that Claire is back… also, we'll see more of Soldier 76, Genji and… you guessed it…**

 **Talon.**

 **PSA: I'll be starting at least two new stories. A RWBYxFateStayNight, and also a massive crossover with at least 10 universes going at it.**

 **If you have any questions about those, or this story, feel free to leave a review or PM me!**

 **Have a great night!**

 **God bless!**

 **-Metal4k**


	19. Chapter 19

**The Darkest Knight**

 **Part II: the Claws of Talon**

 **Chapter 19: the Riddle**

* * *

Jack Morrison had seen his fair share of wars, and massacres.

But this…

This was something else.

He stood in the middle of a rundown shack, somewhere on the outskirts of Beijing, the whistle of snow and sleet from outside hissing through the thin walls.

Ana had tracked their quarry here, a small group of wannabe shimada gangsters.

They had found them on the web talking big about stealing the Shimada name. Of course, he and Ana knew that meant they were after Genji or, his brother.

And they were after his brother, so they couldn't just let these men gain traction, plus they were scum who shot down a family in Singapore just for getting in the way.

Of course his intentions for them had been... less than pure, but this was something else.

The bodies were... charred, but in a way he'd only seen when Winston used his Tesla cannon back in the day.

But he knew Winston wouldn't have done this, after all he and Lena still believed in the 'good' fight.

"Whoever did this…" Ana sighed from where she kneeled next to the closest body.

Jack narrowed his eyes, "they have Winstons tech, or worse."

Ana sighed and stood up, "I'm not sure Jack. The scarring… it looks, almost natural, like an actual bolt of lightning struck them."

He glanced to the roof of the rundown shack, "inside?"

The Sniper simply shrugged and took her place next to him.

"Whatever happened here Jack. I'm not sure we should ignore it."

He looked around, wondering just what happened to the five gangsters.

If it had been just a shootout then they could've just moved on. But after the fiasco in Vienna, and with the newest agent... Nate, on the scene…

He couldn't be sure, if that man wasn't behind it.

He'd seen that man's abilities, the white lightning he commanded, and the fire. No way they could rule him out for this.

Still though…

It's not like the world was gonna miss these men. They were scum, and once upon a time he may have given them fair trial and jury, but that was a very, very long time ago.

Now? These men were the worst kind, and just like Los Muertos, the world would be better off without them.

"We've got more important things to worry about." He and turned away from the carnage, "we'll send something to Lena. They can worry about whatever this is, we need to find that Shimada and deal with Talon."

His feet carried him outside and the wind screamed its anger, his hair flying around as his muscles tensed naturally to the cold.

Ana's soft footsteps followed him into the snow, and her voice pierced the snow through their comms, "Talons been off the grid for months. The least we could do is-"

"Ana,"Jack glanced back at her, his visor flashing, "is this about Fareeha?"

The woman stopped in her tracks, and her eyes were shrouded by the darkness in her hood, "she was caught in a crossfire we should have prevented."

He shook his head, "we tried. We told Lena-"

"We told Lena to stay away, and of course she didn't Jack. Same way we haven't, and we knew about the plans to hit the UN. We could have warned them."

The accusation in her voice was clear.

Jack stopped, his feet sinking into the snow, "we needed the spotlight elsewhere. We needed a distraction to get into-"

"I know." Ana interrupted.

Without looking at him, she walked up to his side and a hand landed on his shoulder, "If we aren't careful Jack… we'll become the very thing we're fighting."

There was no response.

Instead, Jack simply shrugged off her hand and started forward.

The soldier knew she was right.

Problem was…. He honestly didn't care anymore.

He just had to stop them.

At any cost.

* * *

 _Drip._

 _Drip.._

 _Drip…_

The world slowly blurred into view and teary eyes blinked away at the fog over her mind.

Hana released a groan as the fog on her head cleared, only for a rushing headache to slam into her skull like a freight train.

"Shi-bal…" she growled through a grimace.

Instinctively her hand cover covered and massaged at her forehead in a failed attempt to somehow alleviate the pain. It's not like she ever drank, but she hardly ever gotten tipsy, let alone drunk.

Last time this had happened she had been with Marques and they-

 _Clothes. Lips. A hotel…_

She frowned and shoved the memories into the wellpool of repressed thoughts that plagued the back of her mind.

Needless to say being drunk was not her forte, nor his.

She grumbled under her breath, slowly pushing herself off her couch and onto her feet.

Glazed eyes barely glanced at the shattered TV, instead drawn to the table where at least two more bottles of Chamisul, sat emptied of their contents.

She blinked twice at the sight, her slowed mined trying to piece together the night before.

Flashes hit her, brief moments etched into her subconscious. She remembered Claire and the attack, which did nothing but introduce guilt to her heart.

She remembered drinking the first bottle, then… Nate...

Immediately her rage ignited in her, burning away the guilt from before, and though a frown instantly formed, she regretted it a moment later as a throbbing pain shot through her skull.

She grumbled, and started towards her kitchen, ignoring the TV and the bottles as if they were the plague.

Out of habit, her finger flipped on the light switch, only to immediately regret her decision with a few choice curses.

Still, she braved the light and stepped through it, knowing she still had a job to do.

She opened a cabinet and pulled out the largest glass she had, before turning and filling it with water.

Parched lips welcomed the taste of Earth's lifeblood, her throat almost instantly revitalizing as she downed the whole 18oz in one go.

"Fuck," she coughed, her face contorting in a joyful pain as she relished the feeling of relief.

The haze didn't fade obviously, but her body at least felt a few decimal points better.

Through half opened eyes she looked around for her phone, and failing to find it, resorted to looking at the microwave for the time.

8:21.

Her eyes went wide.

 _Shit!_

Adrenaline spiked in her system, partially alleviating the pain from the hangover. Her heart pounded, and she ignored the disaster that was her living room and dashed straight for her bedroom.

Now her living room may have not been her most… decorated or lively room, but her bedroom was different.

Memorized footsteps allowed the ex gamer to idly slip through her room, avoiding the candy wrappers, clothes, and chip bags lining the floor.

She lunged onto her bed and stared at her open closest, eyes scanning for her uniform before she dashed forward and yanked the accursed thing out of the closet.

Her bed itself was centered at the back of her room, where as a three monitor taking computer, along with a stat of the art custom gaming chair sat on the other side, where A rug, a plush maroon colored beauty, sat underneath.

She dashed from her small room, the blinds still shut and where faded posters of games and celebrities lined the walls, and into her restroom.

In record time that would've baffled both males and females, Hana Song was able to dress and perfect herself in at least 10 minutes. Her hair was slicked back in a tight bun, her dress blues pressed cleanly, and her makeup cleaned up to with just enough precision and beauty to make her both intimidating yet beautiful.

She stepped back into her room, her old clothes cradled in her arms before she fished her phone and wallet from the old pants. She tossed the clothes aside, adding to the mess of clothes and candy wrappers already la ting siege to her floor, then dashed from her room snagging her keys as she left her apartment behind.

She cursed to herself as she ignored the halls of her complex or any other residents and simply ran to the stairs. In a mere minute she managed to leapfrog her way down the stairwell and to the parking lot.

Her blue little car sat in the parking spot nearest to her building, a lucky grab she had managed late late night.

It was basically a god send, and she moved the fastest her body could feasibly carry her into the vehicle before starting it up.

She adjusted her mirror, reversed, and hit the gas.

Of course, the ride itself was filled with nothing more than the usual morning traffic, and of course a few choice curse words were sent towards a few drivers that seemed to exist for the sole reason of getting in her way.

Still, she made it in her usual time, a short ten minute drive to the base, but her heart was racing as she looked at the time.

8:56.

Her heart almost ruptured her throat, and she took a deep breath to steady herself as she drove her car straight into a parking space.

She blinked as the fuzz from last night hit her once more, the hangover reminding her of its presence, but she managed to shove it down and focused on the memories from yesterday.

The general had said for them to report somewhere….

Her eyes went wide.

The barracks!

She basically threw and kicked her car door open, and somehow managed to close it, lock it, and start in a less than graceful power walk towards the barracks all within about five seconds.

If she had been any lower of a rank, she would've ran, but she was Hana Song, Captain of one of the most prestigious Mekka teams.

She had to at least carry herself with some form of respect.

Unfortunately the refusal to run cost her another ten minutes just to walk to the barracks main building, which unfortunately was hidden amongst the rest.

It was a white stone building, only about six stories high, and had shining windows with her country's flag flying proudly over the roof, the American flag flying next to it.

She held her head high as she followed the concrete path towards the building, passing by a few officers, and more than enough lower ranked soldiers than she would've liked.

A few glanced at her, some talking amongst themselves about her, though most actually minded their own business.

Fortunately for her, she had long ago learned how to deal with whispers and rumors.

She had been a celebrity, an idol after all. She knew how it all worked.

With a cold face and gait that betrayed no met ion she pushed the doors to the main barracks open.

It wasn't as official looking as the HQ obviously, and not nearly as spacious, but it held a sense of unity about it.

Maybe it was the couches and tables in the front around the TV with several soldiers cheering on some football team form the States. Maybe it was the soldiers at a table playing what looked like poker, or the others playing chess.

Whatever the case her ice facade almost broke when her eyes landed on her team.

And of course the general.

She internally shivered, and in the face of such overwhelming authority and presence her instinctual reaction was to shy away and retreat.

But she was nothing if not a master of her own will. She had beaten the Conductors tortures and machinations, she had beaten death, and had fought with the worst of Talon and lived.

This was nothing even close to that.

So she steeled her resolve and marched forward, the air in the lobby growing immensely sour and tense as she approached the general and her team.

The natural affinity to danger was a trait all humans shared. It was something each of us are born with and know to listen to when the warning system kicks in.

And for the soldiers in the lobby that weren't her, her squad, or the general, they fled the age old instinct fire up, and their eyes cautiously turned towards the meeting though they did their best to avoid detection.

A few even defied that this was no longer the place for their activities and promptly scrambled away as deliberately as they could.

Of course Hana noticed their absence and retreat, and if she was being honest, she knew it was her record and her loyalty to the general that had probably saved her a verbal scolding form the moment she walked in.

But if his face, unreadable to most though it may be, was anything to go by, he was utterly furious with her.

She knew it had probably been over an hour about now, and she had wasted not only her teams time by being late, but his.

There was no way she would be able to talk her way out of this one, and if she knew anything, apologizing for something as late as sleeping in was a mistake one never wanted to do in the military.

So when her team stood to meet her, the General having already been standing since she walked in, she simply swallowed her pride and stood at attention before the leader of South Korea's armed forces.

"Sir," she saluted and kept her eyes firmly locked to his.

He lips were pursed and she could barely make out the nervous faces of her team. The general may have liked her, even favored her some would argue, but they all knew that he-

"Captain Song. Your tardiness doesn't fill me with much confidence about your self proposed mission." He frowned and stepped past her, motioning for them to follow as he went.

She nodded and meet the eyes of Marques.

The larger boy gave her a soft smile which she gratefully returned. Of course that was short lived as Kolden's concerned face entered her view.

He was distant, simply walking by her, but the eyes behind glasses passed by her, all but asking her what had happened, obviously seeing straight through her mask and into her very soul.

She narrowed her eyes at him, only slightly so as not to give away her actual mood, but the boy took the hint and simply hurried on.

She huffed and began to follow when an arm wrapped itself around her shoulders.

For the briefest of moments, she thought it was the armored hand.

Her mind played out the scenario; the apology of the eternal Guardian, her anger fading because her friend had actually chosen to fight with her and not against her, but of course, life was not so favorable.

Instead of the armored guardian, her eyes met those of her best friend, the one back from the dead.

"You good?" The blonde asked with a somber smile, reading the signs from her best friend from years of experience.

Hana huffed once more and nodded, "good enough."

A simple, short answer, but one that was enough for Claire to understand.

The arm tightened into a small hug around her shoulders before releasing, a simple show of support that went a long way for the gamer.

So she steeled herself, pushing away the pain of alcohol and the anger of friendship to once more lead and listen.

Swiftly she made her way to the front of the group, careful to avoid the generals gaze as she managed to walk up next to him.

But as if anticipating the question running through her mind, the general suddenly pulled out a folder, from where she didn't know, and handed it to her.

She blinked once, momentarily confused by the action before the general spoke up, "I had wanted to do this in my office, but I have a meeting with the other generals about Admiral Sun-sins obvious disrespect for the chain of command in less than twenty mintues."

Hana nodded, and placed the folder under the crook of her arm as they followed the general away from the barracks, and followed the sidewalk through the base.

A few officers passed them, saluting the general as they passed.

One would've thought it was a normal day.

But because of her position next to the general, was she able to see how on edge he truly was.

It was subtle, but she noticed the generals eyes, she noticed how they twitched and took in every detail of their surroundings, how he was keenly aware of everything happening around him.

For a moment it made her truly uneasy.

Why would the general be this suspicious in a place where he was undoubtedly the most respected person, and the most protected?

It didn't sit right with her.

Alas, the general didn't let her thoughts spiral out of control, instead he spoke softly but clearly, enough for her team to hear his words, "the details are in the folder. You are all to be dismissed and placed on leave for exactly twenty one days, for emotional purposes regarding the reappearance of Claire."

The gamer blinked, sparing a quick look back Claire who seemed just as surprised by the revelation.

She gulped heavily and replied, "sir, last night I thought you said Claire was to stay on base until she's cleared to leave?"

He nodded, "I was getting to that. Lieutenant Hottette, you are to report to the medical ward for a check, after which you are to join up with Captain Song and the others for a leave."

Again, Hana blinked in naught but confusion.

"Sir, won't there be confusion-"

"The decision was made Captain," he shortly replied, to which she turned away and held her tongue. Then the General continued, "the lieutenant is to stay with your group at all time. She is to always have one other member of her team with her, and is to report to me specifically everyday, exactly at eight pm. Understood Captain?"

"Understood." She replied, softer than normal.

"Good, so the alibi as I was going to say is due to the reappearance of a dead teammate. Now, the circumstances of her revival are still top secret, and though you five may know a very general story, you are all to keep silent on this matter. Let the public speculate. We will release an official statement within the week, so do not," his eyes landed on Hana, "do not, say a word of her story to the press or anyone who asks."

She narrowed her eyes. So the general was using Claire's return to spin a proper narrative for her undercover op? Not bad, though she hoped it fooled whoever it was that was after her.

Again.

Then the man continued, "where you go I don't care. Follow the details in the folder, you will have a one way communication with myself, and Overwatch HQ. I want daily reports from you as well Ms. Song regarding the current status of your operation, and nothing heroic from any of you. We want to lure out whatever shadow organization is after Ms. Song, not cause a scene."

His words were short and to the point.

The General stopped in his tracks, the headquarters in sight while another barracks sat to their left, a street to there right, and only a handful of people in sight, none of which looked like they were even paying attention to them.

He turned to them, his gaze firm as he spoke, "you can go where you wish. However, Keep in mind how spread thin our forces are. As I said you will have support form Overwatch as well, but if things go south…" he shook his head and turned to the HQ, "keep that in mind when you choose where to go. Do not travel often. Don't let them know it's a trap."

'Sir." Hana nodded, her hand curling into fists by her sides as the thought of her attacker from the night before filled her mind.

The General glanced in her direction for split second, "be wise Captain. You are all dismissed."

And with that he left them on the sidewalk and strode towards the HQ.

Hana sighed as he left, her hand absently rubbing her forehead as the tension in the air visibly died.

She licked her lips and pulled the folder from under her arm, the familiar presence of her team gathering around her, all curious to see what secrets the folder held.

But Hana hesitated, her finger gently gripping the edge of the folder, yet she didn't open it.

For some reason, she felt like she should wait. As if, just maybe, this wasn't the right place.

She looked up, eyes as vigilant as the generals as she took in all that was around her. The birds in the trees, the hum of electricity, and the steps of soldiers and officers going about their days.

"We'll open it when we get someplace safe." She slipped the folder under her arm, "I don't think the general trusts the base anymore."

Kolden nodded then added, "well, where should we go? We have leave for three weeks, and staying near the base is probably the opposite of what we want to do if we want to draw these guys out."

Though Kolden could be an ass, he did have a point, loathe she was to admit it.

"But, where do we go?" Ava, who Hana still needed talk about in regards to last night, asked in surprisingly clear English.

She pursed her lips.

Though it'd been a few years, she still had a few connections in Japan. Maybe a nice getaway near Fuji Mountain. Or perhaps somewhere in Europe?

They'd be closer to Overwatch if that was the case, and if anything she knew Nate and Lena would be more than willing to help them accommodate anything, though she would prefer to avoid the Guardian if she could.

"My family's got a place in Japan." Marques spoke up, and all eyes turned to him.

Julian narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms, as silent as ever, but the question on his mind as clear as day.

Why not tell them about it?

Marques shrugged, "in all honestly, I don't know! Why would I bring it up? Like we've ever had a real day off in the past couple years! Honestly the last day off we had was last Christmas, and me and Kolden went back to the States. I don't even know when Hana last had a day off."

She rolled her eyes, though… he also had a point.

Damn.

"Where is it?" She asked, her voice scratchy.

He blinked, most likely prepared to answer stupidly before he saw her face, to which he backtracked and replied, "ugh, on the outskirts of Tokyo, close to Mt. Fuji actually. Nice place honestly."

Hana sighed, her eyes turning back towards the base.

"Not gonna lie , I've always wanted to go to Japan." Kolden added, slightly nudging his glasses higher onto his nose with a shrug.

Julian then asked, "is your place defendable? Can it be defended with small arms fire? At least enough to await reinforcements. From either here or Overwatch?"

His voice was deep, and curious, his eyes as intense as the sun as he asked the very question plaguing Hana's mind.

Marques smirked, "Well, does being on the side of a mountain, plus top of the line cameras and alarm systems, and the fact we'll have six of the best trained soldiers ever, count as adequate security?"

Hana once more rolled her eyes, despite her appreciation for the sarcasm, yet Claire was the one who beat her to the punch, "what do you mean side of the mountain?"

His grin only widened.

"Ever seen that old movie Batman begins?"

* * *

Hana stared wide eyed at the sight before her.

Now, being a previous celebrity and a well traveled pilot of the military, it was blatantly obvious she had been to her fair share of pristine and high class places. She'd stayed in if ever star hotels, in homes of other celebrities, been to ancient cities of China and Italy.

However, Marques's home was maybe the most impressive place she'd ever been too. Well, at least in regards to privately owned places.

"Holy hell…." Claire gasped from her side.

Kolden sputtered, "dude, shit, why did you never say you owned a place like this!"

'Well," Marques shrugged as he stepped forward, "it's not actually mine, it's my parents, and we'll, they're not always fond of lending out their private places."

Hana shook her head absent mindedly as Claire added on, "but this… geez, it's like you're relatable to Allison Gates or something!"

"Actually she's a distant cousin!" Marques chuckled, walking backwards as he called back to them with a cheeky smile on his face.

Kolden shook his head as he followed the other boy, Jillian looking slightly amused at those exchange as he spoke, "did anyone else know his family was rich?"

D'Va shook her head, "nope." Though she grinned as she started toward, taking in every detail of the house as they went.

Now the house itself was massive, and styled in a completely traditional fashion. It's roof was made of wood and clay, a deep brown layer of tile so laying on the top at an incline as is the style of of traditional housing of the island country.

Around it were large trees, and enough greenery to make the Amazon jungle look brown in comparison. The road they were on, with two small Toyotas they had rented sitting before the massive home, was well paved but high incline road.

After all, the house was seated on the side of Mount Fuji right on a small ledge of it that overlooked the town of Gotemba, with the western half of Tokyo towards the horizon.

The walls were wooden as well, polished and clean, with the front door being made of white translucent paper and a wooden frame called a shoji. Of course, that was after they entered past the gated entranced, which was of course only apart of the impressive large, olds set one walls that surrounded the building.

But once they passed the gate, which was opened via a keycard Marques had, Hana saw it wasn't just one building. No, there were four buildings!

"Wow, this is awesome Marques." Claire smiled, her eyes glittering happily as she passed by Marques and towards the middle buildings; the largest of the four.

Kolden, oh the other hand, seemed more far more confused and simply started forward, his eyes analyzing everything in the small compound; from the ten foot high walls, to the traditional styling and build of the houses.

Hana watched as he slake door ward, wondering what on earth was going through the techies head.

On her right, Jillian simply smiled softly and made his way to the main house, the gentleness of his touch betraying his large size with even as simple an action as opening the door for Ava, who was as quiet as a mouse trailing behind the giant.

She watched as Claire's arm found Kolden and the bright smile charmed the boy into his own. She smiled softly as the two chatted softly and made their way into the main house after Julian and Ava.

"Dad bought it a few years back. Said mom always wanted something in Japan. Didn't tell my step mom that though, told her it was for his business trips here." Marques stepped up next to her, crickets chirping as the moon glittered in the night sky.

"Romantic," she gave him a somber smile.

"A bit," he grinned, a warm wink sent her way not two seconds later.

Heat rushed to her cheeks, and a growl for me in her throat, "no. It was a one time thing."

Immediately the man frowned, and though she tried to start forward, he held out an arm, a dark look on his face.

"We need to talk about-"

She glared at him and pushed past his arm, her eyes forward as she walked by, "it was a mistake Marques."

"Why?"

She stopped and closed her eyes, "why what?"

A hand grabbed her shoulder and gently pulled her around.

She allowed her eyes to meet his, and despite her… regret… she….

But that night. She… she…

 _Needles. Black masks. The conductor._

"Because it was mistake."

His eyes narrowed, "because of him right?"

Confused she tilted her head, a hand finding itself on her hip, "what're you talking about?"

He sighed, "never mind."

She rolled her eyes.

Now Hana loved her squad, and she loved the fact she was basically built to be a Mekka pilot. She loved Korea, she loved Overwatch and the idea of heroes. She loved her friends for who they were, but…

She did not love what she had done. The fact that Claire was still alive had only made it worse.

Claire had always cared about Marques… more than a teammate should care for one another. And sure, they had thought Claire was dead, but she had still…. they had still…

 _Drinks. Smiles. Clothes falling to the floor._

She had sworn never to drink again after that night.

Then the attack and Nate...

She girt her teeth as the images, who most would've found pleasant, filled her mind, but slowly morphed into something worse.

 _Barrels. Black masks. A knife stained with blood._

 _A Guardian._

"Ever since your stint with Overwatch you've been all weird," Marques started, his arms now crossed with disappointment etched on his face, "it's been months, we've been on several missions, you got attacked again, and…" he growled mad shook his head, "for fucks sake we slept together! Why on earth are you against talking about it?"

She meet his gaze and all emotion drained from it, "we are nothing Marques."

His eyes grew wide but she continued without a moment's pause, "we aren't lovers, or anything of the sorts. We're teammates, even friends, but if you can't act like it, I'll personally see you removed from active duty under the guise of emotional compromisation. We clear?"

There was something in his eyes, something more akin to betrayal than hurt, but he simply pursed his lips and nodded, "Sir."

And with that he walked past her, his steps heavy and his presence marked with hurt as he made his way inside after the others.

The door slid shut with a soft thud and Hana stared up at the moon.

Pale light bathed her already pale skin.

It highlighted her cheeks and eyes, and to her skin it gave an beautiful, heavenly glow.

But despite looking similar to the angels described in the days old ancient Catholicism, she felt nothing but… well, nothing in her heart.

She was their Captain after all. She had to be strong.

She had to be a fixed point for all of them.

No emotional compromisation. No sleeping with your team. No getting attached to false Guardians and heroes.

No.

The mission, the mission against these terrible organizations had to come first.

She took a shaky breath and formed her resolve.

She'd never let another girl suffer what she had.

Never.

But as she smiled sadly at the moon, and as the trees swayed form a gentle wind, and the crickets chirped happily to the stars above, she failed to notice the soft glow of green far off in the distance.

The metal body perched on top of a shaded tree, his green glow low and concealed.

Genji watched as the girl turned and headed inside the main house, thoroughly curious as to what was on her mind.

He had met her once, maybe twice.

She was an interesting woman indeed.

* * *

I stared at the ramp before me, the gears twisting and churning as my ship opened its belly to the beast.

Or more accurately to a frowning Tracer who was impatiently tapping her foot.

Honestly though, I had no idea why she seemed so pissed.

So I stepped forward, taking my helmet off the old fashioned way and resting it in the crook of my elbow.

"Now what?" I sighed, mostly out of annoyance.

She didn't reply and instead her glare intensified.

Now I'm no expert at women, but I can definitely tell you-

"Oh. Nathaniel sorry." she blinked twice and shook her head, "my head was in the clouds love, thinking bout the whole mess in Korea."

I nodded, visibly relaxing the moment I realized it wasn't me she was pissed at.

"Well," I stated moving past her and towards the back of the Hangar where a workbench and dozens of various tools laid about, "I can tell you Hana's fine, not really happy, but fine at least."

Also extremely miffed at me, but that was between us, nothing Overwatch needed to know about.

"I bet," she leaned against a pile of old tires, courtesy of Winston, "we already talked with the general though. Finalized the whole details about operation 'Hana Song being used as bait."

I tilted my head, and my armor disappeared with a flash before I turned to lean against the workbench, "you don't agree now?"

She sighed and pursed her lips, "Hana wasn't very excited about it, but then again, most of the plan was her idea. Then there's the fact the guys went to Japan do all place and dragged the new and improved Claire with them."

The dots connected and I smirked, "you don't trust the general?"

She grinned, obviously happy I figured it out, "course not. Its too much of coincidence, Claire showing up when Hana gets attacked? And almost seven months after she supposedly died? The general being so easy to convince in a matter of a day or two? Common love, I wasn't born yesterday."

I chuckled and pushed off the bench, heading towards the doors to the interior of the installation, "never knew you were the conspiracy type."

The feeling of her rolling her eyes engulfed the hangar, but with a flash she next to me as the doors to the bases interior slid open.

"I'm not, but the worlds been in shambles for a while love, and we're small right now. Would it really be surprising if someone tried to make a fast one right under our noses.?"

Honestly, I didn't know.

Sure there was internal strife back home, even between us Guardians, but nothing like this worlds. For the most part we just worried about survival.

Of course there were the crazies we had dealt with every now and then, but they didn't count.

I sighed before a reply left my throat, "honestly, I don't know. Where I came from… we didn't worry so much about this kind of stuff.'

My boots echoed off the metal floor as we passed the gym and mess, the wide halls seemingly swallowing even the sound of our breath as we went.

"What do you mean?" she asked, her voice soft and eyes filled with both curiosity and sadness.

I pursed my lips.

She knew about where I was from obviously, but I had only told her a summary; basically , I told her and Winston that I was from another Earth, from the year 2967, but my Earth had not history of Overwatch or the Omnic war.

The revelation had allowed them to both agree with our, mine and Digs, assessment that we were in a parallel reality.

However, we hadn't told them everything.

About the darkness.

Why would we? There was no darkness here, nothing for them to fear, so why torment them with the fear of what _could_ be?

I shook my head, "my world, my…. people, we just tried to survive you know? We fought, and bled, and well, died, to ensure the last of humanity could live."

"The last of humanity?" She bit her lip in concern, and I chuckled, "yeah, but that hasn't happened here. Should've seen my face when I first saw Rio. Thought I was going crazy."

She grinned at that, "thought?"

"Cheeky fucker."

She snickered.

Then as we came to an intersection within the base, my room only a few doors down, she blinked in front of me and held up a hand, her other one pointing to my right which was towards Winston's lab snd office area, thing.

"What?" I asked, looking between her and the way she was pointing.

"Big guys got an op for ya. Me and Mei are heading out to Canada to look at some… disturbing data she found, but the big guy needs you for something apparently. Didn't tell me, but I didn't ask." She shrugged with a smile, she blinked behind me, and-

 _Whack_!

My eyes went wide and I jumped as the force of the slap on my back thoughtless surprised me.

"Don't be a brat." She gave me a sweet smile, then was gone with a flash of blue.

I frowned, more from her teasing than anything else.

So with a huff I spun on my heel and started down the right hall, towards Winston's lab.

The journey was rather short, after all, the barracks were underneath the mountain, and his lab was built right onto the side of it, so it was maybe, like a two minute walk at most?

Granted it felt longer since there was nothing but empty room, an empty lounge, an empty simulator, an empty lab…. well, you get the point.

I really did wonder who else was here. I knew only a handful of agents had been present in Seoul just a day ago, and there were the rest like Reinhardt who had been on separate missions, but other than that…

How many agents did Overwatch have?

Hell, how much personal did we have?

It was still like a ghost town here…

Steels doors greeted me as the entrance to Winston's lab, and I stepped past them as the resident AI, Athena, welcomed me with a chippy, "welcome Nathaniel. Hope you're not planning on destroy anymore bases soon."

I rolled my eyes.

Imagine my joy at learning I now had TWO, sassy AI's to deal with.

Just my luck.

I walked to the stairs, briefly studying the room with a tire hanging from the ceiling, and turned to see the ape typing away at his computer, several jars of peanut butter laying on the desk beside him.

"We run out of peanut butter yet?" I asked, only slightly amused.

"Ha, ha. Very funny, Nathaniel." He huffed with clear annoyance.

Having achieved my goal I smirked and stepped through the doorway and into his office, my eyes immediately drawn to the screens.

Considering he didn't instantly shut them off, I was assuming it was either unimportant, or that he trusted me enough to see what it was he was working on.

Winston turned to me, simultaneously turning the screen to face me.

It was picture of some city.

It looked like the desert sun was setting, and if my eyes aren't truthful then it the building looked… almost smooth, and tall. Not to mention them were irradiated with blue light and dark peach walls.

I narrowed my eyes at the ape, "its a city?"

The ape smirked, "Oasis. Heard of it?"

My eyes went wide.

Of course I had. It was the pinnacle of technology on the Eastern hemisphere, surpassing even Seoul in its technological advances.

"What about it?"

"You are too accompany Angela here for the next month while she works with local doctors on the outbreak of Zika-koi, and to recruit some of their best to our cause."

My face dropped, "I am not a baby-"

He sighed and held up a hand which urged me to stop.

He rubbed his eyebrows, the exhaustion briefly visible on face before being shoved back behind determination, "I know, already adamant about being able to take care of herself. But, we know Talon is after us. Right now, the last thing any of us need to is be anywhere alone. So, I'm sending two agents out for every mission, and considering how dangerous Oasis has been lately, I don't want Angela alone there."

"Dangerous how?" I asked leaning against a wall as my curiosity got the better of me.

The Ape shook his head as he slid off his tire and stretched his arms, 'cracks' echoing off the wall as his joints popped.

He shook his head with a yawn, K9s on full display before he relaxed and continued, "kids have been disappearing off the streets. Kids from all backgrounds too."

He grabbed a folder from his desk, and handed it to me.

"Aside from protecting Angela," he stepped past me and headed towards the stairs, to which I followed, "I want you to look into this if you can."

I briefly opened the folder and glanced through the images of kids.

None of them were familiar.

"What does this-"

"Two of these disappeared seven months ago. A son and daughter of a high roller. They just reappeared today. Not a single thing wrong with them."

I blinked, "weird…"

"Exactly. They don't even remember what happened, complete memory loss. I want you to find out what happened. We don't need another La Croix."

I nodded, having learned a while back about the purple assassins origins.

Its sad as hell, but I'd still put a bullet in her head.

"So two missions in one? Which is my priority?" I asked, slipping the folder under my arm.

"Angela. We can't afford to lose her. I know you two aren't… close, but we need you to work together."

I frowned as we hit the first floor of the lab, "all right, but what about Hana? I figured I'd be the one to watch over her considering you guys sent me to see how she was after the whole attack."

The Ape walked up to the holotable, "normally yes. But Genji's already in Japan for a mission, so it's more convenient for him to do both."

I nodded, though for whatever reason, my eyebrow twitched.

"You and Angela leave in two hours," he turned to me as he powdered up the table, "any questions?"

I thought for a second.

"On a scale of one to ten, how much does Angela hate me?"

The Ape laughed.

"Solid eight."

"Damn."

* * *

I stared out the window, genuinely curious about the shining jewel that was Oasis.

Its buildings were large, and valiant. Shining silver coated the walls and foundations, and stainless windows reflected the light of the sun back into the void. Massive highways, all shining with silver roads and holographic dividers, cars that floated halve the silver, and vastly more lashive vehicles floating through the sky towards the multitude of buildings that all reached to the heavens.

Now I knew a little about religion, wasn't one for it myself, but I'm do remember something about the tower of Babylon, and how God struck the tower and sent it down. Something like that.

Either way… this sight, well…

I can't help but feel like all this is place..

It's just another tower of Babylon.

"Beautiful isn't it?"

I blinked and spared a glance at the girl besides me.

It wasn't mercy, it was a brunette, a really, REALLY, good looking girl in tight jeans and a gray blouse. She had green eyes, and light brown skin, and from the slight lisp in her accent I knew she was from the Southern States.

"It is." I nodded with half a smile, turning back to the city below, the buildings growing larger as our plane descended towards the airport.

I sighed softly then added, "it reminds me of home."

"From New York? Took you as a city boy." The girl added from my right and I couldn't help but smirk.

I looked back at her, "and you farm girl?"

She narrowed her eye and gave a fake gasp, "it's not a farm, it's a ranch thank you."

I chuckled and leaned back in my chair, "and what exactly is a ranch girl doing in the Middle East?"

With a devised grin she crossed her arms, "what's a city boy doing in the east?"

Again I laughed, "touché."

She grinned and grabbed the backpack at her feet. She hefted it up and pulled out a book.

The title was… well some bigs words about anatomy.

"I'm here for clinicals at Oasis Providence for my masters."

I furrowed my brow why did that name…. oh damn. It where Angela was going to be helping at!

I nodded, "awesome, I'm actually here with my cousin Angela. She's on some doctoral visit to-"

"Oh my lord," she gasped, clapping her hands together with a gasp, "please tell me you're related to Dr. Ziegler? Everyone knows she's coming to help, not to mention the fact she's speaking at the NTM convention as a guest of honor!"

Internally I cringed, instantly recognizing the fangirl type as she lit up like a firecracker.

Oh yeah, don't forget my anger though. No one told me about any convention.

Guess either Winston or Mercy forgot to mention that. Figures.

Still, I tried to keep the annoyance down as I replied, "yeah, came along to see the golden city for myself."

I gestured to the window.

She grinned wildly, "how amazing! She must be truly a wonderful person to know!"

"She is." I lied straight through the glowing grin on my face, and the woman leaned back in her chair, partially turning to me to speak.

My heart steeled itself for her inevitable questioning about Angela.

"So what exactly are you here for? No way you just came along with Dr. Ziegler for fun."

She leaned on her hand and studied me with a soft smile, patiently waiting for my response.

I lightly scoffed, staring at her with true bewilderment as I thought of a response.

Obviously I couldn't say I was involved with Overwatch, and though Angela was a well known operative and doctor of the peace keeping organization, I was basically under cover.

Nobody knew my face really, unless they somehow pulled my face from when Hana and I were in disguise seven months ago.

But Dig and I made sure to keep an eye out on the deep web and all sorts of conspiracy sights just in case.

So far, nada.

But Winston had pulled out all the stops for this op. For being a scientist, and a general Boy Scout, he definitely knew how to hide under the radar.

So I smiled back and chuckled, making it seem like she had read through me, "well, I won't lie, the Tyson museum has always caught my eye and I'd been planning on coming here alone then I heard about Angie coming, so I figured I'd tag along."

"Fine don't tell me." She smirked

I rolled my eyes, "already judging me and we barely met."

It was her turn to laugh and she feigned offense, "now, how rude to accuse a proper lady of such things."

I chuckled and-

 _Thunk!_

The plane bounced an inch as it's tires meet the pavement, and I spared another glance out the window as we rolled on the runway towards the airport.

Normally not one to gawk, I was still truly bewildered by the sheer elegance and power displayed by the creators of this city.

I didn't know their names, but Tracer had sent me an info pack about the so called, Council, that controlled Oasis. It was sort of a city state, not be;ongoing to any one country and instead pulling talent, funding, and trade from every powerful country to create… well, an oasis.

A paradise.

But tuning in back to my conversation, I prepared a response then realized… I didn't know her name.

So I shook my head with a soft smile, "I just realized, I don't know you're name."

A look of realization crossed her face, "I am so sorry, my names Jasmine."

She stuck out her hand, and I shook it politely, "Nathaniel."

She smiled, "well, it's nice to meet you Nathaniel."

"Pleasure is all mine, Jasmine."

She opened her lips to reply, but the plane lurched to a stop-

 _ **Dig, log an official complaint for this pilot, courtesy of Overwatch.**_

 _ **Nate, I don't**_ _-_ I shut him out, and realized then the seat belt sign had turned off and Jasmine was undoing her own belt, preparing to stand and she looked at me and spoke, "it's been nice talking to you Nathaniel. If you're ever around the hospital, feel free to say hi. I'm sure Dr. Ziegler wouldn't mind."

HA! If only she knew…

"You know," I replied with a genuine smile, "I just might."

Her face brightened with a dazzling smile and pearly white teeth, "I'll hold you too that Nathaniel."

Then with that she stood, and opened the compartment above us, as I myself took off my own belt and stood, careful not to hurt my head on the bottom of the luggage compartments as I did so.

Jasmine, a smile still lingering on her face, looked at me then to the what I assumed was the luggage within the compartment.

"Which is yours?"

"The dark blue one."

"The one with-"

"Nathaniel." A sweet, yet managing voice caught my ear and I looked to our right, where I found Mercy standing in line, waiting for Jasmine to hand me my luggage with propel behind her.

I looked ahead, and saw that the first few rows of the plane had already emptied.

Huh.

Jasmine's eyes went wide at seeing the famous Overwatch doctor, but also realizing the traffic jam she was causing, she shook her head, "Sorry! Let me… agh."

She yanked out my luggage and handed it to me with an embarrassed smile simultaneously grabbing her own bag and somehow hanging it off her shoulder as she started down the aisle.

"Sorry everyone!" She said with grimace, right before she waved goodbye nad turned to exit the planes front, where the Captain and a Steward were talking.

I tried to wave back, but she was already gone by the time I managed to wriggle my way out of the seats into the isle, promptly exiting the plane with Angela closely trailing me.

"Who was she?" The Angel asked, eyes evaluating my every move and obviously waiting for my answer.

I shrugged, "her names Jasmine. Sweet girl, and one of your fan girls apparently."

Mercy frowned as we passed a restaurant within the airport, the walkways lined with marble and floored with a golden red carpet, "we're not here-"

"Calm down. I'm not trying to date her, or screw her, or whatever. We have a mission I get it."

I side stepped a family rushing by us, and spared a quick glance to the fountain in the middle of the gates waiting area, hard light swirling around it in fabulous designs of animals.

A jugar running through the jungle with a waterfall.

"Still, no need to jeopardize yourself through random conversations. We don't need her being targeted just by being acquainted with us." The woman replied as we circled the large fountain.

"Like how you jeopardize us by keeping the fact your a guess speaker at some convention from me?"

She narrowed her eyes at me for a moment before replying, "I was going to tell you."

"When Talons already shooting at you at the convention?"

"Which is exactly why we can't reveal anything to anyone. Not even an attractive young woman." She growled.

I rolled my eyes. "Talon may be one of the shittiest organizations in earth, but even they know targeting random civilians is putting more of a target on their back."

She shook her head with pursed lips, "they target civilians all the time. Do you think Hana was a random occurrence?"

"They targeted a high ranking military official. Hana may have been innocent, but she was of value. Plus, they interrogated her for info, so it was like a senseless murder."

The Fountain flowed brighter and transformed into a whale swimming through the ocean.

The doctor frowned and huffed, obviously annoyed, "yes, but do you think if Talons completely unafraid or attacking her, that they would actually be afraid of attacking a random civilian? One as low profiled as her?"

I sighed and bit my lip.

"All right, you have a point, but she was just friendly for God's sakes. Your saying we can't just be friendly and have a few friends outside Overwatch?"

Her frown deepened, "that's not what I'm saying Nathaniel. We need to be-"

"Careful, I get it." I growled and she openly rolled her eyes.

"Then think with your head." she stated with such a punch of finality, it both infuriated me and shut me up.

Then, there was a lion, stalking the bank of a lake.

We walked and as we drew near the airport exit, I watched as the floating head of a crocodile appeared in the water.

I wondered if the lion would see it, if the fountains holographic capabilities were capable of such a show.

But I never saw it.

We walked out of the airport, door silently sliding open as we made our way to curb, right to where a man stood before a shining silver car that hovered gently above the ground.

The fact he was holding a large poster board with Mercy's name on it, definitely assured it was our ride.

"Ms. Ziegler!" the driver called, his smile bright behind sunglasses and his well pressed suit.

Mercy didn't even blink, instead walking right up the man and embracing him as if he was an old friend.

"Its been a long time Su-Té." the woman smiled as the man chuckled and stepped back, politely gesturing to the car.

"It has, glad to see you're in one piece after that whole mess with the UN." He added as he popped the back door open for her.

She nodded silently and him his bag.

Su-Té glanced over to me as Angela got in the car, and extended a hand, a more reserved smile on his face.

"You must be the cousin. Pleasure, my name's Su-Té."

I nodded and shook politely, "Nathaniel."

He gestured to the back of the car and I got in after he took my bag.

Well pressed leather, finely polished windows, and perfect temperature controls.

I noticed there was a roll up window between the front and us.

Su-Té got in and the car started up with a soft rumble, far different than the growl of the normal cars I was used too in this world

"Su-Té can you take me to Providence?" Angela asked with a truly angelic smile.

He nodded and before he could reply I asked, "already? I was figuring we could-"

"Could you give us some privacy?" she asked, again that charming smile aimed at Su-Té.

The man complied and suddenly the window separating us and him rolled up.

The woman turned to me, "Nathaniel, Winston sent us here together, but I do not need you in my shadows. Go to the hotel, it's a room under my name, and stay there. We don't need to stay together every moment yes?"

Though her last sentence was phrased more like a question, it was without a doubt am order.

I leaned back, "one, you don't tell me what to do. Two, fine. I'll hang back, but dont bitch to me when you're in trouble and I'm not there to help because you kept me at the hotel."

She narrowed her gaze and me, but left my bait alone and turned away, "then we understand each other."

I huffed.

"Yeah. We do."

* * *

Stars.

Powerful, and beautiful all in one.

Their destiny was to burn for eons, and only when they had given life everything, would they flicker and fade. Yet, their light would always be seen. Traveling throughout the galaxies as it moved to in seen worlds.

They always had a purpose.

Hana wished she knew that kind of confidence.

She wanted to know what it was to have a sure purpose.

The task force and her current mission were good distractions.

But at the end of the day, as she leaned on the wooden railing of Marques' getaway house and stared to the heavens, she still wasn't sure what she was meant to do.

Before, well, maybe she did. She knew she was a Captain.

She had been a star too, and idol to people.

Yet now, she was here.

Threatened by Talon, at odds with some of Overwatch's finest, angry at teammates, confused and happy by her friends sudden reappearance, then nervous about that damn tablet in her bag.

Another group was after her.

But why?

What did she know or do to deserve this?

Did God hate her?

She shook her head, her hair loose around her face, framing it with beautiful delicacy that perfectly complemented the pale moonlight on her face.

She wasn't sure if she believed in God. Well, any God honestly. She knew other believed, some believed enough to commit genocide, and other who committed their lives to ideas solely of good purpose.

How could she be like them?

 _Beep_.

She blinked, looking back into her room from the patio outside the back door of her room.

What had made that noise?

Her phone was on her, and she only brought her laptop which currently charging so it couldn't have been-

 _Beep_.

Her eyes zeroed in on her bag, which was pushed against the corner of her room, far away from her futon.

She gulped and glanced around.

There was no one obviously, but she listened more than she looked.

And it was silent.

Her team had to be asleep. She glanced at her phone.

Hell, it was already two in the morning as it was.

She should've been asleep too, but her mind had been running and-

 _Beep_.

She pursed her lips

It wasn't on. There was no way…

Before she knew it her feet were carrying her across the room, and she reached into her bag.

And with both surprise and mild expectation, she yanked out the tablet given to her by the white ninja dude, and saw it was on.

She grit her teeth as a purple, computerized skull, with lines of moving code creating its base structure, stared right jack at her.

Again, her eyes looked around, careful to see if anyone was listening or preparing to ambush her.

The place had cameras and motion sensors, courtesy of Marques's paranoid parents, but nothing was invincible.

Hell they'd gotten to her at-

 _Ding!_

She looked down.

The skull was gone, replaced with purple text.

'Who do you trust?'

She pursed her lips.

"No one."

The message flashed and the tax changed.

 _'From times of silver and gold. The first of his kind. The most powerful of ours, but in the land foreign and not. Find that duller than pen, but separate from the world.'_

She blinked, confused.

A riddle?

Really?

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Hey guys! So no, this story is not dead. I've had a rough two months, girlfriend then no girlfriend, sick on and off, having to deal with finances, etc… it's been rough.**

 **But fortunately the light at the end of the tunnel is near! In a good way.**

 **So here we are the newest chapter! Not much action, as this arc is more espionage and character development over fights.**

 **Things are developing, and there is PLENTY of foreshadowing in this chapter. Trust me, if you really tear it apart, you'll see the hints im throwing up.**

 **So, here we get to see Jack and Ana looking for Hanzo still, but they ran into a grizzly scene. What could've done that as obviously it wasn't Nate.**

 **Then we have Hana. Obviously drinking has its tolls, but uh Oh! Not only does it bring bad actions but it brings back repressed memories.**

 **We haven't really had a chance to get into Hanas mind about what's happened in the past six months so here we get the details of her and Marques. We'll be exploring the things that happened in the six month gap with all the characters as we go.**

 **We also see that Hana is slightly at odds with some of her team, and is generally confused about herself, in case that wasn't obvious from her getting drunkenly confused and pissed last chapter.**

 **What does the riddle from Sombra mean?**

 **Onto Nate, he didn't have a lot of time this chapter, but we some him meeting Jasmine, messing with Winston, and being at odds with Mercy as usual.**

 **Don't worry, Mercys beef with him will be explained.**

 **If you have any questions feel free to PM Me! Also for anyone who does, I have a few new ideas for this story that I need to run by some readers to see if it could logically play out.**

 **Anyone, thanks for all the support guys!**

 **Live long and prosper!**

 **God bless!**

 **\- Metal4k**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Sorry for taking so long guys. I've been kind of... Weird lately, and life's been really weird, but fortunately things are getting back on track so my updates should be going back to the regular schedule of about a month or every 2/3 weeks. Also there's a poll on my profile about the future of this story (don't worry it will go on) but I do need opinions on something. Details are on the poll. Also thanks guys for sticking through this wild ride with me! Also sorry if theres any mistakes in this. I was kinda in a rush to put this out.**

* * *

 **The Darkest Knight**

 **Part II: The Claws of Talon**

 **Chapter 19: Cyborg Ninjas and Assistance**

* * *

Click.

"And today in Siberia-"

 _Click_.

"Rey, you come from nothing. Your parents were nothing, they-"

 _Click_.

"He's my friend. So was I."

 _Click_.

 **Don't you like that movie?**

I shrugged. **I do but don't really feel like watching it tonight.**

 **So what do we just sit here and watch movies and pout all night?**

I frowned and gripped the remote in my hand tighter, the soft couch beneath me doing little to calm my nerves.

 _Get out._

 **Well, what else are we supposed to do? Mercy's still at the hospital, and here with orders to stay here.**

 _Tears. A bottle._

 _Brown eyes and hurt._

 **Bullshit** _._ **I can literally see in your head. You're still pissed off at Hana, or hurt, or whatever.**

A flash of light and my ghost appeared. His parts twirled and he floated in front of my face.

I narrowed my eyes at him. **Don't get all pissy with me. You haven't even found any** **leads yet!**

 **Well you're just sitting here! Go, I don't know, track down a lead or something useful!**

 **Oh shut up. I'd just be wasting time out there. We have zero l leads and no allies here. Now, if you find a hit then-**

 **Shut up.**

 **Who the fuck-**

 **I got a hit.**

My armor appeared over me and I stood.

"Who?"

The boy that Winston said disappeared? He's at a fundraiser for Cancer patients in Oasis. Dad's a wealthy investor.

"Probably trying to look good for the press."

Most likely, but Winston wasn't kidding. Kids got nothing wrong with him. Looks squeaky clean, even his school records perfect. Straight A's and the lot.

I nodded, my foot tapping impatiently on the floor.

Angela had told me to wait here.

But…

I grinned.

Well fuck it.

After all she wasn't my priority right now.

 **Where's the place?**

 **It's… oh dear. You might need a decent pair of clothes.**

My eyes shot to my ghost as he appeared.

 **And I mean, like fancy clothes.**

Ah fuck.

* * *

Hana stared at the tablet before her, her eyes burning slightly and a yawn forcing it's way from deep within.

"Ugghhhhh…" she grumbled, her eyes threatening to close.

She shook her head, blood rushing through her face and forcing a dull pain at the top of her skull.

Her teeth sank into her lip, and sucked in a massive breath, trying to fuel her exhausted mind.

Her phone beeped and she glanced at it.

A message from an unknown number.

She frowned.

Of course there would be a message from an unknown number while she was trying to figure out the damn riddle on this tablet!

Teeth grit, calcium rubbing together with enough friction to create a near silent _eeekkkk_ , she grabbed her phone and opened the message.

 _Hana love, it's Lena. Had to use a burner, sorry._

The teeth grinding stopped and her frustration dampened slightly.

 _Just wanted to let you know we're keeping an eye out for anything through Japan. Winstons got people looking into any shady organizations and, Mei and I are looking into some weird rubbish in Canada. If you need back up, send any message to this number and we'll have backup there ASAP._

No mention of Nate. She frowned.

 _Just be careful love. Don't do anything too stupid!_

And that was it.

It wasn't that didn't appreciate Tracers concern, she was slightly miffed at being interrupted.

After all, riddles didn't solve themselves.

She looked back to the riddle, ignoring her phone as she tossed it to the floor next to her.

'From times of silver and gold. The first of his kind. The most powerful of ours, but in the land foreign and not. Find that duller than pen, but separate from the world.'

Silver and gold…

What did that mean? Jewelry? Gold coins? Silver bullets?

What!

She growled, dry, red eyes burning with frustration.

The first of his kind…

Her mind went to Nate.

He was the first of his kind in their world… but why would the refer to him? Her relationship with him?

She scoffed.

Yeah, right.

She dismissed the idea and narrowed her eyes.

Times…

Did it mean like actual hours? Maybe years?

Or…

She narrowed her gaze.

Or, what ages? She knew of something called… the bronze age… right?

Wasn't that a thing?

She shook her head.

"Dang it."

She grabbed her phone and opened the browser, prepared to type the riddle in when her mental defenses shoot up in warning.

Whoever these people were…

They could remotely activate and type things into this tablet…

They could find her and draw her out of a secure meeting…

Of course they'd be able to track whatever she searched through her phone.

And what if anyone else…

Talon…

...was listening?

She put her phone down, eyes assessing its very existence.

Again she bit her lip and turned back to the tablet.

She needed info, something that could help her think and align her thoughts.

A library…

She grinned softly. It'd been years since she'd been to one. Since she was in grade school actually..

That had been… well, a very long time ago.

She grabbed her phone, and rather than enter something that could let any track her or inform her of her intent, she simply looked up library locations.

The town was only a short drive away, and it was- she looked at the time- already 2 in the morning…

Everyone had to be asleep. Jet lag was killer, but she had no fear of driving alone.

The biggest issue was the fact the library was closed.

She scowled.

She'd have to wait until tomorrow.

Without a moment's breath, she glanced around her room, her fingers tightening on her phone.

Oh course she hoped she even woke up tomorrow.

What if they were watching her?

She bit her cheek and looked from the windows to the door. Each was closed, each locked in place.

The place was alarmed, and… she grabbed her bag.

Her hand wrapped around cold metal and she pulled the 9 millimeter from the bags confines.

Acutely aware of her surroundings she checked the magazine, and cocked the side arm back.

The safety was still on, but at least knowing her weapon was loaded and ready gave her at least a sliver of peace.

After all, it wasn't like she could go anywhere right now, and despite her fear, logically this place was the safest place she could currently be.

So with a heavy sigh she pushed the tablet away and laid back on the futon beneath her.

The light above burned at her exhausted irises, but as she sat up to turn it off she felt her heart start pounding at the thought of the darkness.

So for the first time years, she curled up and closed her eyes with the lights still on.

' _ **Song…'**_

 _ **She fleet herself turning, but gravity was against her and her movement was hindered by something she couldn't see.**_

' _ **Song…'**_

 _ **She growled as she tried to find the voice, her very animalistic nature warning her of a threat.**_

' _ **Song, the time is nigh.'**_

 _ **There was fire in front of her. Buildings were burning.**_

 _ **There was a woman.**_

 _ **Red hair, pale skin and green eyes.**_

 _ **Armor like Nate's. But it was blackened, and blood poured down the left side of her face.**_

' _ **Death follows him, follows you like a plague.'**_

 _ **Bodies.**_

 _ **Women. Children. Men.**_

 _ **So many dead…**_

 _ **She felt her heart racing.**_

' _ **Death will come.'**_

 _ **Water washed away the fire, breaking buildings and washing bodies away.**_

 _ **The earth rumbled and torn the ground apart**_.

"Hana?"

 _ **And darkness will be known by all.**_

 _ **Purple eyes in the dark.**_

She gasped, breath filling her as her eyes opened with a start and her body instinctively sat up, prepared for fight or flight.

"Hana?"

The light above burned her irises.

Hana Song growled as she rubbed her eyes, though in pain, she managed to find the intruder of her sleep.

"Hana?"

She narrowed her gaze at the minor concern on the other girls face, "its nothing ok?"

Blonde hair and a shit eating smile, Claire shook her head, "still not a morning person… some things never change."

The blonde stood and offered a hand to the gamer, which she took without question.

Her grip was tight and quick yawn escaped Hana as her senses finally began to relax.

She shook her head, clearing away the adrenaline and fear, and looked around.

She was in a room.

Japan…. that was it. That's where she was.

Her phone. A bag.

A tablet.

The riddle.

The library.

She frowned, but Claire stepped in her view and-

"Hello? Earth to Hana? You awake?'

She blinked in mild surprise and gave a soft smile, "sorry. Just… tired."

 _Purple eyes…_

The other girl shrugged nad stepped back crossing her arms as she kicked the tablet gently with her foot.

"Trying to play spy or something?"

Hana rolled her eyes in response, "or something."

Claire shook her head, smile never leaving, "anyway, Marques and the others wanted me to wake you up, seeing as the last time Kolden did-"

"I punched him in the face." Hana grinned, the memory fondly playing itself behind her eyes. "He I had A bruise for like, a week right?"

Claire chuckled, "and he tried playing it off as if he got it during PT."

Her toes curled and she pushed her body up, another yawn escaping her as she reached for the sky and stretched her body, her muscles aching just before easing into full alertness.

She glanced around, searching for the bathroom which she then remembered wasn't in her room.

But her eyes also hit the windows and with that she saw the shining light on the grass and walls on the outside the small compound, and realized that she had slept in.

Her eyes went wide. "What time is it?"

"Eleven I think? We already ate sorry, but saved you some eggs courtesy of Marques."

"Eleven?' Hana snapped, her face flushing as she snagged her bag from the floor and rushed past Claire and through the door of her room,"why didn't you all wake me sooner!"

Claire simply laughed as she followed, "figured we'd let you sleep in. You were attacked after all. Can't have been easy."

The gamer simply mumbled under her breath, feet cold against the wooden floor as she turned right into the community bath she and Claire were sharing.

"And you died…"

The silence was welcoming. And she glanced back at her friend, who instead gave her a smile and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Well, I'm back. So get ready. Maybe we can convince the boys to head into town and we can grab some nice clothes. I've been digging the kimono look for a few weeks."

She rolled her eyes. Leave it to Claire to prioritize shopping.

And leave it to her to find a way to the library why th either were distracted.

It'd be hard, but now she had a chance.

"Fine."

She stared at the mirror, unfazed by the ragged hair and red eyes staring back at her.

And so, as was her usual routine, she opens ether bag and pulled out he relish, eyeliner, foundation and mascara. She may not be a goddess in the terms of a-playing makeup, but she knew how to hide any bags or blemishes she had.

After all, in her line of work, bags underneath your eyes was a common occurrence.

So as she did when meeting the general she used the tools as the disposal to erase any of the wear and tear on her face, creating the illusion of flawless skin and unmatched beauty.

Of course, such art was only accompanied only by clothing she knew was both stylish and comfortable.

Tight denim jeans that emphasized her body, her sole purpose for wearing them as to mainly distract anyone she needed to, she was very much a fan of the art of seduction and manipulation after all, and a loose button up thrown over a tank top.

Her hair was down, perfectly straight and brushed behind a single ear.

And though she was proud of her look, she couldn't help but frown.

It didn't… feel like her.

Hana Song had been an idol.

She had been a gamer, top of the line that hundreds of thousands had lined up to see. She had been a movie star, an actor, and a soldier.

She had been the heartthrob of millions of boys, and the envy of girls.

But… then everything changed.

She had fought and been kidnapped.

The world reared its ugliest part and she came out alive.

Before, none of this would be given her pause.

The way she looked a perfect mask to distract others, a perfect cover for _her_. A way to distract and to steal the attention whenever she wanted it.

And though she had never used her power for anything truly immoral….

This look.

She blinked.

It didn't…

It felt weird.

Different.

Just like when the gaming scene found her…

Another change was it?

Did she not want to be the center of the town? Did she not want eyes on her?

Heck even the mission required her to be bait! Might as well flaunt her presence right?!

She was bound to have a few people asking for autographs or something!

 _A blade. A mask. Fear…_

She grit her teeth, and with a violent shake turned away.

 _Just thoughts. Stupid thoughts. I'm Hana Song! Come on! How many times have I fooled creeps and desperate people, and stolen the show! I can go into a town and get attention! And I can disappear whenever!_

She grinned.

Of course she could! She still had a riddle to solve after all.

So she sucked it in and stood tall.

She faced the mirror and smirked.

wasn't afraid of anything.

She stepped out of the restroom head high and a eyes bright.

Claire simply raised an eyebrow.

"Going ok a hot date?"

Hana rolled her eyes, "gotta look good for the fans." She winked, before going to her room and exchanging her travel bag for a backpack.

Her handgun under her button up, hoodie in her backpack along with a new shirt and better running shoes, a wig, and a few bottles of water.

Never knew when you'd need a hug out bag after all.

Leaving her room behind, she looped her arm through Claire's, who was still patiently waiting and started towards the kitchen,

It was easy to tell Marques was in there, his loud voice carrying into the y'all the closer they got, and both Kolden and Ana's laughs carrying to Hanas ears with true joy in them.

The two girls turned the corner and-

"Well look who's up!" Marques beamed, none of last night's pain evident in his voice.

She smirked at him, "beauty takes time."

Kolden raised an eyebrow while Ava grinned widely, "you look great Captain!"

Hana groaned, "don't call me captain here. I hear it enough at base."

Ava blushed and nodded quickly while Kolden waved her statement off, "so, _Captain-_ ,"

He purposely ignored her glare.

"-what're the plans for today? I'd like to climb mount fuji while we're here."

It wasn't necessarily wrong for her team to want to do Touristy things, after all she'd love to spend a night scouring the nightlife of Tokyo, but the risks we're just too much to bear.

What if the white ninja man came after Ava? The girl wasn't as adapt at hand to hand…

Or, what if the Reaper snuck up on Kolden or Marques? They weren't helpless but against something like that…

She didn't want to imagine what would happen.

But she needed a library and having fought several of the world's deadliest fighters and lived she could confidently say she'd be safe alone.

So she'd have to lie, and find a way to get her team to stick together while she found a library and found out what this damn riddle was all about.

Hopefully whoever was watching them was distracted by her friends while she slipped away.

Though she didn't condone using her friends as bait, after all she was supposed to be the bait, but sometimes…

Damn. How could she justify abandoning them?

"Well," she started, "i was thinking of hitting the town. We don't want to get caught alone in Tokyo with Talon out and about."

Marques instantly waved off her comment, "Talon, Shmalon, with all of us together we'd be fine," he reached behind him and pulled out his handgun, waving it once as he continued, "plus were a team, and they'd have to take all of us."

She narrowed her eyes at him, "Talons not some gang you can scare into submission."

He shook his head with a grin, "we'll be fine Hana."

"I said the town." She retorted, her smirk lowering.

Marques frowned, "why not Tokyo? Sure it's big, but that's the whole point. Lost in the crowds, easy to trap someone-"

"Easy to be followed" she interrupted, "collateral damage," she stepped forward her voice growing harsher, "more than enough places for us to get ambushed from," she stepped forward again, reaching the table and leaning over to face Marques, "dozens of skyscrapers for snippers to pick us off without being able to do a damn thing about it."

He held her eyes and she huffed before continuing, "small town. Better cover, less people, and easier to cover our tracks with the woods all around. Plus, it's close to here so we can fall back."

His eyes narrowed at her.

"What're you not telling us?"

She blinked

Had she been that obvious?

She glanced around, and to her genuine surprise everyone's eyes were on her.

But she held her head and glared down Marques.

"No. I'm just playing it smart. Going to Tokyo is a death sentence."

The tower were silent, Kolden, Ava, and Julian and glancing among one another in genuine confusion.

Whatever Claire was doing she didn't know considering she was behind her, but she didn't dare look away from Marques.

Obviously he wasn't over last night, but she couldn't let him throw everything off track.

They had a mission.

And she was going to find out whoever it was that was after her again.

He shook his head, "fine, we go into town."

His frown instantly flipped and he shrugged, "they've probably got better food anyway, and I'm driving so I choose the first place!"

The larger boy spun on his heel and started towards the front door which was conveniently located only about 20 feet to the right of the kitchen.

Koldens eyes growing wide as he gasped, "no! Last time you picked I ended up eating live octopus! Hell no!"

Glasses ended up scrambling away with less grace than a dying mule, and Ava laughed as she too hopped off her seat and followed.

Impressive how Marques had such reign on his emotions.

She could admire that.

"Captain?"

She blinked an glanced up at Jullian.

He was looking down at her, his face contorted in a tired smile.

She sighed and nodded, "I'm fine. Just… fine."

He nodded and after a few steps to the door, held it open from both her and Claire, the latter of the two having been silent the entire time till-

"Never seen him so worked up." Claire spoke up.

She glanced back at the blonde, "he's always been dramatic."

The girl raised an eyebrow.

Hana rolled her eyes.

"Okay maybe not always, but you died and… things were just rough for all of us."

Jullian, despite his absence in the conversation nodded solemnly, which Claire took in stride as she then responded, "and I'm assuming that's what with you and Nate? You were… processing?"

The word weren't cold. They were genuine and curious, care and warmth embedded into the very irises.

One of the best things about Claire was that she cared about everyone, and Hana smiled as she nodded, "mostly. That's a big bag of drama I don't want to open right now."

Claire nodded and stretched, her hand standing harmlessly on the countertop she leaned on, "well then let's hit the town and find some nice stuff to blow money on."

Hana grinned. "Let's."

And as the the girls chatted, following Julian outside, a dormant light right underneath the countertop where Claire had been leaning went red.

* * *

Whenever I thought about suits and ties, I thought of the movies like Men in Black and Casino Royal, and being some super sexy spy sleeping with everything that moved and… well you get me.

But!

I never would've guessed that my life as a Guardian would've lead me to dressing like them.

Yet here I stood, walking straight to a hotel dressed in a five hundred dollar tux with a thick black coat over my shoulders.

I kept my head high, and strode straight to the front doors.

The hotel was a five star monstrosity whose name I honestly-

 **Marriott**.

-had already forgotten, but I walked right in as if I owned the place and to the front desk.

 **I've created a false identity for you, made you the inheritor of some rich asshole who owned a company overseas in the United States. Names Franco Rogen.**

 **Thanks, any cash to back it up?**

 **A few thousand. Can't steal much more without becoming obvious.**

 **Makes sense.**

I smiled at the clerk, an older woman with tired eyes and a frown etched on her face.

"Excuse me ma'am, where's the fundraiser for Anthony Meza?"

She blinked slowly at me, obviously unimpressed and simply twitched her head to her right before returning to the magazine in hand.

"Thanks?" I smiled before leaving her behind, my dress shoes echoing on the tiled floor as I started towards the hallway on her right.

My eyes briefly took in the lobby, massive area that was opened up all the way to the roof at least ten stories into the air with an indoor pool in the middle, tables, snack machines and plenty of other trinkets.

It was fancy, but the lack of residents was interesting.

So I followed the hallway, a finely lit and decorated thing, and almost immediately found it in the form of two large doors open wide with the sounds of people socializing echoing out.

I stepped to the doors and spent a quick second observing the interior.

The room… a ballroom I'm assuming, was massive. Two floors within the room itself, dozens of people talking, dozens of others dancing in the center of the room, a few ice sculptures, chandeliers and an entire food/drink bar.

Then there were the bounces, two large men on either side of the doors I was about to walk through.

Of course, they approached me within a second, one holding up a hand as the other raised a tablet.

"Name?"

I put you under Tony Mellark. Not stark cause that's too obvious.

"Tony Mellark."

The first bouncer nodded and tapped on the tablet as he stepped back, the other holding out his hand for me to proceed.

"Thanks," I replied and walked past them, instantly becoming absorbed by the dozens of other investors around.

Most of the people ignored me, too self absorbed in their own conversation to even worry about the world around them, while a few did give me generous smiles of greeting.

 **So** , **where on Earth is this kid were looking for?**

 **Not really a kid. He's twenty one, but he's up on the second floor talking to some… model? Don't know what her name is. But don't be creepy.**

 **He's the one hosting this isn't he?**

 **Nah. His dad is.**

 **Well, then I act like I'm trying to find his father. Anything I need to know?**

 **His father invested in a company called Vishkar a few years back. They're based here actually, dedicated to making hard light structures and technology.**

 **Neat.**

 **Yeah, they have reps here. Some woman and a dude, not much older than you honestly. But if you're gonna look for his dad, try to fake interest in his new project called 'Eden'. Supposed to be a new super mall with an emphasis on renewable energy.**

I easily slithered through the crowd, careful not to draw attention and accepting a drink from one of the waiter milling about serving the crowd.

 **Gotcha. Nothing too hard, just keep an eye out on the cameras. Don't want any surprises, also how's Angela?**

Bitter, and dry, the red liquid splashed against my tongue, my eyebrow twitching in general disgust before forcing it down.

Had to make myself look the part.

 **She's fine. I've been keeping track of her. Sh actually just got out of surgery, helped some poor kid with tumor in her head. Nice work. Very efficient.**

I nodded ever so slightly, genuinely glad she was helping someone rather than just spiting me.

I made it to the stair in the backside of the dance floor, glancing at the small orchestra arranged just to play these slow, smooth waltz's.

My feets every so gently carried me up the stairs, and I was careful to sip my wine and keep my eyes peeled as I did so.

The moment my feet purchased ground on the second floor did my eyes land on the boy I was looking for.

A burst of positive feeling from Digs end confirmed my suspicion.

So without breaking a sweat I started over to the boy.

The woman he was talking to was tall and golden, her hair a beautiful black, and her eyes a piercing red from obvious cosmetic surgery.

Still, she was stunning, and her dress, though gorgeously made, left very little to the imagination regarding her chest and hips.

Her eyes were the first to find me, running me up and down the way a lion would study its prey.

But my own eyes didn't back down, instead a confident smirk replacing my indifferent smile as I approached.

Obviously she was impressed and turned her attention to me, and ever so flirtatious smile dancing on her face as she studied her newest prey.

She probably thought I was both rich and good looking.

Jokes on her I'm broke.

Plus my attention already on Han-

I blinked, my smirk flattering as the boy, who was just my height, turned to me.

Wait. What was it thinking?

Hana? No, no no. Please.

She hates me. Not like I'm her biggest fan either, I'm mean come on she-

"Can I help you?"

I blinked again and realize the boys looking at me, his eyes confused and obviously irritated that I interfered with his 'game' though I think she's the one doing the seducing.

I shake my head, and my confident smile reappears as I stretch out my hand.

What's his name?

His name N'Tuk Meza. Mixture of Arabic and African I think. Not sure about this times naming strategies.

"N'Tuk right?" I asked, a shit eating grin still on my face pretending to he purely ignorant to his annoyance.

"Yeah and you are?" The boy sighed, trying to be polite despite his obvious desire to get rid of me.

"My bad, names Franco. Franco Rogen, I'm actually looking for your father, I was interested in one of his newest projects and was wondering if you could show me where he was?"

"Yeah he actually-"

My eyes turned to the woman, "I'm so sorry, forgive my rudeness I didn't even catch your name?"

Nate… what're you doing?

Strategy. How soon can you get me a hug to plant on him?

Buy me five minutes.

Can do.

The woman smiled, obviously flattered, "the name is Elizabeth. Mr. Rogen."

See there's a trick to planting a bug on someone.

I nodded as she reached her hand to shake mine, which instead I took and gave a gentle kiss to the back of her palm.

"Pleasure."

Of course I noticed the barely concealed jealousy radiating of N'Tuk.

Jealousy, step one. Not only was he easy to read being jealous, but his focus was suddenly and intensely drawn to his new rival aka me.

See the dude just wanted to sleep with her, was thrilled with the idea of taking her and thought his name and money would make it easy.

Obviously he couldn't tell she was playing him.

Probably was gonna get off with just kissing him then taking off with a few thousand dollars of his.

"Ah Mr Rogen?"

I turned, "oh yeah, sorry N'Tuk, I was distracted by this sculpture of perfection that is obviously your girlfriend."

His cheeks grew red, and she giggled as he shook his head in the negative, "oh, um no, no, we're not like. Together together, just talking and you know. Just… yeah?"

I nodded, "my apologies N'Tuk. But still you must tell me how you met such a beauty? My wife, was once just as beautiful but alas she passed only four years prior to today."

His embarrassment died and you could see the guilt riddle his face as he added, "ah sorry to hear that."

I smiled at both him and Elizabeth, "it's no problem. Such is life after all."

Step two, make him guilty and embarrassed, which just compounds off the fact he was just jealous of me.

See I'd done this whole distracting thing before, back in the tower.

Kathy had pointed it out to me how good I was at bullshitting, which was a rare talent apparently.

So we used to BS our way into getting new stuff and one time planted a bug on the leader of some religious sect in the Last City.

"What did she do?" Elizabeth asked, her eyes feigning with curiosity, as N'Tuk feigned interest out of guilt.

"Ah well you see, she actually-"

"Excuse me ."

All of heads turned and a dark woman of impeccable posture, an aura of superiority bubbling her, stood before us dressed in a both exquisite and extravagant dress.

I raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious as to who this person as her chocolate eyes completely ignored me and she only looked at N'Tuk.

"Where is your father? I have a matter to discuss with him regarding Vishkar's operations in Eastern Europe."

 **Names Satya Vaswani. One of Vishkars… field operatives? Interesting.** Dig informed me, his presence amplifying as he was obviously interested in our exchange.

 **Sounds like a cover for a hit squad.**

 **Doubt it. Nothing in her file suggests she's a killer. She is slightly on the Autism Spectrum though, but her IQ is impressively high. Given the right tools she might even be as smart as Angela, and trust me when I say that's no easy feat. Also, the bug is ready.**

 **Thank god.**

I simply watched with a polite smile as N'Tuk turned to me, "Oh, actually Ms. Vaswani, Mr. Rogen here was also looking for my father. He's actually in the far corner of the first floor directly below us."

He gave me a truly polite nod which I returned.

Satya simply nodded, "Thank you." And turned, though I noticed her eyes narrowing at me.

I simply kept her gaze as she turned and left, curious as to why she was singling me out.

A sixth sense for the bizarre most likely. A trait women share, that unfortunately us males do not.

"Well," I turned to both Elizabeth and N'Tuk, chuckling softly after the rather abrupt interruption, "aside from the pleasant company of Vishkar, I would that you both for entertaining me. Alas, I must be off."

I turned to the black widow, smiling at her perceptively honey filled smile.

"Ms. Elizabeth." Once more I took her hand and gently kissed it.

I didn't give N'Tuk time to react as I quickly clasped his shoulder afterwards, "treat her well boy. Rare gems like are getting harder and harder to find."

He simply shook his head with a stupid grin, "Uh, yeah no problem man. Anytime."

Of course though, both of them were distracted enough, and the place was lit well enough that the small flash of light on his back was easily forgotten and covered.

And so I turned away, heading back to the stairs as I feigned looking around for his father, barely even following the boys directions.

 **The bugs small and wont register on metal detectors. It'll active recon once it's in his residence, wherever that may be. No idea what we'll find though.**

 **Maybe what he's hiding. Winston said that he reappeared as if nothing happened. Maybe a bit of, scary Guardian with super crazy lightning powers will scare him into speaking.**

 **Worth a shot. Wheres he live?**

 **What part of I don't know do you not get?**

* * *

Hana frowned, her eye twitching unceremoniously as she looked at the drizzling rain beyond the coffee shops window.

"Your turn is." Ava's voice smiled from across her, and Hana sighed tiredly, though she did try and force a smile at the kind girl.

She looked to the chess board between them, her mind suddenly turning to tactics as she studied the field before her.

Ava was holding back her knight and her queen was set to run across the board and strike down Hana's castle. However if she moved her pawn just right she could intercept the Queen, but if she moved her own Queen out and sacked Ava's pawn next to the king she would check her, but then she'd be trapped by another pawn then a bishop. Then there was her own bishop.

If she used it to strike out Ava's far castle on the other side of the board and left her Castle to draw in her queen for her own to strike it down. It would be a sacrifice but then she would have taken Ava's best piece off the board.

So she moved her bishop, knocking out Ava's Castle in the far right corner.

The girl frown but before Hana could even say turn, the girl was already moving.

A move Hana didn't see, and Ava threw forward her own bishop flying out from the corner to strike down the Castle she had laid out to bait the Queen.

Smart. It meant Hana had to choose which to knock out, but Hana wasn't a pro at strategy games for no reason.

She had left a knight in the back, covering the flank of her pawn and Queen right where the younger girl had dropped her Bishop and queen.

So she leapt, and the knight diced the bishop.

Ava, realizing she had been trapped, gulped and her eyes went wide.

She backed her Queen, but as she released the piece just as she saw Hana's opening.

"Wait-"

Hana didn't wait and she shoot forward her Queen, knocking out Ava's second Castle at a perfect angle, which left her last bishop open to the queen.

Ava retaliated by moving her rook up to form a wedge between her king and Hana's advancing army. If she didn't, she had a perfect strike with her bishop at the king.

It was defensive, and smart, but also foolish when playing against her.

Because now she had her trapped.

She grinned.

The thrill of victory, always a sweet taste.

She simply moved her Knight up, taking the Queen that had been left open now.

Avas face formed into one of confusion, then recognition. Her mouth dropped and she huffed crossing her arms in a playful pout.

Hanas queen had the bishop, the wedge Ava had forced that and the king was stuck behind the wedge. With the other one out thanks to Hana's Knight, and her bishop set to strike the last of Ava's Castles next to the king she knew she was done.

"Check Mate." Hana smiled.

The japanese girl frowned then smiled and shook her head, "so close! So so close!"

She threw her hands up in frustration and Hana laughed lightly.

"Gotta play five steps ahead Ava."

The two turned to Claire who was cross armed, sitting at the table across from them with a single headphone in one ear and her phone out.

"Starcraft champion for two years, Captain for the diamondback in League of Legends for three years even won two world championships, and won three tournaments in the Call of Duty X."

Ava's eyes went wide and Hana rolled her eyes. Ava, she knew, like everyone else knew she was famous but she was famous for multiple reasons.

She was an idol, a few songs, a few movies, her pro going career and the leader of the top Mekka Squad.

Plus after the past six months she hadn't really felt a need to tell the newcomer that she had once been a top of the line pro gamer.

Somehow, it felt…. irrelevant to their everyday lives.

"Wow! So many wins!" Ava clapped her hands together, "my brother, love to meet you! He play lots of League!"

She smiled, "maybe on the next family day, and you, let's play." She jabbed her finger at Claire who raised her hands.

"I don't wanna embarrass myself."

"Chicken." she chuckled devilishly.

Claire rolled her eyes with a playful smile, and simply went back to her phone.

With a content smile Hana looked back to the board as Ava set up another game and instantly grew bored.

Her attention turned to the shop. It was partially packed, and the air was warm.

Wooden walls, soft couches and plush chairs.

A definite hang out spot for the local teens she could tell, but aside from the dozens or so teens within, there were a few adults, then of course her team.

Now her team...

Marques and Kolden were over at the Computers playing some games or whatever,

Jullian was off to the side with a warm cup of coffee and a large magazine on his lap.

Claire to her side on her phone with a latte, and of course her and Ava playing chess.

Initially when they parked, the clouds had just rolled in and the girls split up to shop at the nearest clothing store where as the boys had split for the nearest trinket and souvenir store.

Which explained the bags next to her and Claire, plus the small one on Ava's lap.

She had been planning to slip the group when they ventured to the next store, but then the rain started and man did it pour.

They had been right next to the coffee shop, and running in the opposite direction towards the library would've definitely raised suspicion.

And she didn't want either her team or their unknown quarry spooking from such random behavior.

So here she was, killing time till she could slip away.

Honestly, at this point trying to make a break for the library was basically out of the question.

There was no way to escape her team.

And the last thing she needed was more questions.

She just needed time, time to figure it out on her own.

Her eyes traveled to the windows, once more during the rain and gray clouds above.

Despite her desire to figure out the riddle, she was definitely growing bored.

Beating people at chess was only so much fun.

She sat back and stretched, her eyes wandering over to the computer.

Truthfully, she had wondered about using the computers to research her riddle, but that would've defeated the whole purpose of keeping a low profile and off the grid.

She glanced back to the door…

Maybe…

Just maybe…

"Okay I'm officially bored."

She looked up and found Marques walking over to them, planting himself in the seat across from Claire with a 'hmph', just as Kolden pulled a chair up to them.

"You bored of games? Never thought I'd hear those words." Claire smiled, the light in her eyes warmer than normal as she looked at Marques.

He shrugged, "computers are only so much fun. I'm a Microsoft kinda guy."

"Barbarian." Kolden jabbed which resulted in Marques punching his shoulder.

It was then the boy eyes that turned to Hana.

"So, Captain, what do we do now? Though I'll admit, even Tokyo would suck in the rain."

She rolled her smiled, glad he wasn't going to hold any grudge over this mornings argument.

Now for the other night… well, she was sure he'd bring it up eventually.

Still she supposed she should answer, and as her mouth opened her eyes glanced to the street again.

"Well, it's pouring, and unless we wanna stay locked in the house…."

A boring choice for all of them she was sure.

"Maybe we make run for the mall?" Ava offered up, and the group turned to her.

She blushed at the influx of attention, which Hana noted now included Jullian who had somehow snuck up on them, then stammered, "I see sign for mall outside. I think big one, but not sure?"

The mall!

If they made a break for it she could slip out to the library and just like about getting distracted at an antique shop or something!

Yes. That would work.

It had too.

The girl gave a sheepish smile, and Hana nodded before looking to the others.

"Well any other good ideas?" She asked with a somber smile.

No one spoke and Kolden sighed, "damn it, I'm gonna get sick…"

The words prompted the others to chuckled and Marques stood, slapping the boy on the shoulder, "ah you'll live! It's just some water!"

She shook her head, Claire standing with a huff just as Ava beamed and jumped to her feet.

A few eyes glanced at them, but Hana was relieved to see that they simply looked away either bored or simply intrigued by their decision to go outside.

Still, it was a chance for her escape.

So she lead her team to the door, a moment of hesitation filling her heart as she thinks about running in the rain.

Hopefully it wasn't cold.

"Ready?" She grinned.

Whether or not they agreed she didn't know, but she yanked the door open and five bodies charged outside, her own feet following after them.

The rain slapped into them the moment they left the shelter of the shop.

The sidewalk was covered in water, and her shoes barely protected her from the wet and cold.

It poured their skin and clothes, and the thick water drenched their faces, nearly blinding a few of them.

A few other people were out an about, most carrying umbrellas as they walked through the downpour.

However her friends simply dashed forward, Hanas feet slowing ever so slightly as they went.

Ava's voice carried through the rain, but the words were lost to Hana in the constant patter of the rain.

The group took a left on the corner of the next street, Hana's eyes going wide when she realized she had no idea where they were going.

 _Splash_!

Her foot sank into a puddle and she stumbled forward, catching herself on a telephone pole.

Apparently even sidewalks had potholes.

Her shoe was soaked and she grumbled as she pulled back, glancing after her friend despite the uncomfortable situation.

It was hard to see, but she managed to glance them up ahead still keeping pace.

They had slowed, and she noticed someone turning around, most likely to look for her.

She went wide eyes and dashed backwards, careful not to slip on the water.

She pulled her phone out and started back towards the coffee shop.

Now Hana Song was not a big person, but she was able to cover her phone from the rain at the very least.

Her map was up almost immediately and she was pleased to know the library was only a few blocks south from her.

She looked back and if she just focused she could barely hear her friends calling for her through the rain.

Damn.

She forgot to think of a real excuse for leaving them.

Even as she kept towards the library she looked up as lightning flared in the sky above.

They'd probably come looking for her in the rain.

Why didn't she realize that?

Stupid, stupid, stupid…

So, with her brilliant planning skills, she simply opened up a text and sent it to Ava.

It was easy and to the point.

She was with Nate.

A complete and utter lie, but they knew they were to have Overwatch oversite so who else would they think it was most likely to be?

Plus Marques didn't like him and she'd be willing to bet money that'd it'd be enough to deter him.

Without caring to read any response, she pulled her map back up and increased her pace.

It was cold after all, and the rain had already drenched her down to the bra.

Not a pleasant feeling.

So she ran now, her steps awkward and large as she went, turning a few corners, sticking to the sidewalk as cars drove by.

One even splashed her with a wall of water, but it did little to affect her since she was already soaked.

Still she kept going, her feet splashing, thunder booming, and the wind chilling her bones as she went.

Damn she should've brought a jacket.

It was pure luck the library was so close, so before she knew it she glanced at her phone and found herself right in front of the place.

She blinked, wiping away the water cascading down her face.

The place was smaller than imagined. A small concrete building in between two restaurants.

It had a few windows, and was carved to replicate older architectures from centuries ago. However the bright colors and signs screamed of twenty first century influence

The sign in front was neon green, screeching its existence as a library, and she grimaced as she walked to the front doors.

Automatic doors opened for her and she slipped on through.

Despite the more modern material and old design, the inside was simple.

The walls were painted an oak brown, and the roof was actually wooden inside, while the floor was carpeted.

A front desk was, as expected, the first thing within reach and she simply trotted forward, eyes scanning the place for any signs of life.

 _Squech_.

Her feet squished in the soaked shoes and she shivered at the feeling.

 _Squech._

 _Squech._

"Kon'nichiwa." she looked to her right, and found an older man walking out from what she deemed were the restrooms.

His hair was a salt pepper, and his face carried more wrinkles than any other person she'd ever met. And she was in the army!

His smile was friendly but reserved, and he went behind the desk and raised his eyebrows at her.

She blinked, and chuckled sheepishly.

Of course she would forgot the most important part of trying to find books in Japan.

The need to speak Japanese.

"Uh, do you spell English?"

The man blinked and shook his head, obviously understanding her but confirming her suspicions.

She sighed.

"Neoneun hangug malhani?" she spoke, a hopefully smile in her face.

The mam again shook his head and she rubbed her forehead.

Of course he wouldn't speak Korean.

Should've taken those Japanese classes Kolden suggested a few months ago.

A voice suddenly pierced the air, "He may not speak Korean or English,"

She spun on her heel, though the Librarians only reaction was to raise an eyebrow.

A flash of green and two soft _'clanks_ ' later, a familiar figure stood in front of her, having literally walked out from the bookshelves.

"But I do speak Japanese."

Genji looked down at her, cinematically closing a book in his hands as he inclined his head towards the librarian.

"and if I wasn't a super ninja, then I'd say you left your friends behind to come read books, which is strange considering I've never heard of ever reading a book for fun."

Its voice was full of infection, and considering the fact 'he' was an omnic, Hana felt a bit… weirded out.

She frowned, "I read a lot thank you very much, plus," she pointed a finger at the omnics face, "I don't like being stalked by robots."

That was when Genji's head rolled back and it let out the warmest laugh she had ever heard, his shoulder rising and dropping as his chest heave.

Immediately a blush burned in her cheeks.

Hell! Even the librarian was grinning at her!

But it was just the embarrassment of being laughed at that made her stammered, it was the… life, in this omnics movements.

The omnic lowered it's head and shook it gently at her, "Cyborg, Ms. Song. Not an omnic, though you are not the first to be confused as such."

She blinked.

Cyborg…

On the deep web and forums there had been rumors of Dr. Angela Zieglers experimentation with Cyborgs and robotics but…

It had never been confirmed!

Never! She would've known!

Her eyes went wide and her hand went to her mouth as her blush intensified ten fold.

"I am so sorry!"

The taller Cyborg simply waved it off and patted her shoulder, "it is not a problem. The confusion is common, and it's not like my existence as a Cyborg is well known."

"But we've talked! And you never corrected me and here I was thinking you were just a pile of bolts and metal and…. Ugh!" She threw her head back and rubbed her temples.

Genji, for his part chuckled softly, "like I said, it is fine. Ms. Ziegler would laugh if she heard you though."

"Ugh…." She growled and looked at the floor, "I'm an idiot."

Genji shrugged, "perhaps."

Her cheeks burned.

"But, maybe if you explain to me why you've left the safety of your team, I'll take it back."

She looked up at the Cyborg who was surprisingly not even looking at her and instead at the books on the front desk.

To her relief the librarian himself had disappeared. At least she wasn't completely embarrassed.

Still, now Genji, this… Cyborg, was asking her why she was here.

That wasn't good.

The whole point of ditching her team had been to avoid any unwanted attention and because she didn't want anyone else to be caught in the line of fire if she got in trouble.

"And if I don't?" Her voice had a bit of bite in it, and though internally sheet flinched at the time, she kept a straight face.

It- no, he… he sighed, and turned to her.

"Ms. Song I prefer not to intrude on ones private life." Then he gestured to the building around them, "but this is highly unlikely you. At least to my knowledge."

"So you won't say anything?" She asked, biting her lip ever so slightly.

The Cyborg stared at her for a moment then turns to face her fully.

"Ms. Song, let me say that you are not the only one with secrets, or a mission of their own."

His voice lost all it's jollity and warmth, and for a mental it reminded her of Nate.

Damn. What was with her and these dark characters?

She frowned at him, "you didn't answer my question."

Suddenly his body language shifted and her crossed his arms, as the warmth returned in full, "well, I'd most likely report it to Winston who'd most likely give it Nathaniel or Lena."

She flinched and she could almost feel his gaze narrow at her, "which I'm assuming you don't want?"

The girl simply stood there.

Damn. What was she supposed to do now?

Did she tell him?

What if he could help? He was apart of Overwatch…. Maybe he had access to more resources than she did.

"Help, is not weakness Ms. Song. After all, you are the one who helped us in Vienna of your own free will."

She gulped and kicked her foot in to the carpet.

Maybe…

She looked behind her, then further into the library.

Aside from them, and the librarian wherever the heck he went, they were alone.

But if there was anything she knew, after the tablet coming to life remotely, she didn't trust technology either.

She sighed and dropped her bag.

She looked at the Cyborg and took her phone from her pocket before placing it on the front desk.

Again, she checked to see if they were alone.

She huffed.

Then, she motioned for him to follow and threw her finger in front of her lips.

Somehow, Genji's steps grew softer and she had to check to ensure he was following her as they slipped deep into the library.

It was a fairly long building, and by the time they made it to the back, Hana was vaugeky hoping the Librarian hadn't put her stuff in a lost in found or whatever.

She glanced around, looking for any cameras or other wireless electronics before walking in between a pair of shelves and leaning against one with a great sigh.

Genji, despite his stature and size was silent as he stopped next to her, his arms still crossed and his head now tilted down to her, green visor humming softly.

She gulped and rubbed the back of her neck.

"How much do you know?"

He shrugged, "I was told all that was needed. I was to provide assistance to you in and that we are facing an unknown entity that has its sights on you."

She nodded, "that's the gist of it. Did Winston mention that tablet?"

He inclined his head and she took his silence as a hard no.

"In my bag, is a tablet. The assailant left it with me. Last night… it turned on. It had a riddle on it. Probably a test."

He was still for a moment then replied, "many gangs have initiations that are meant to test the physical resolve of its members. A riddle, sounds like a mental test."

 _We need people who are smart…_

The words rang in her head and she grimaced.

"Well," she sighed, "it says, um, from times of silver and gold, the first of his kind, the most powerful of ours? That's how it starts at least. Now idea what that means."

The ninja was silent and she sighed again.

"Well," he started looking to the books, "I assume you came to the library in an attempt to understand this riddle?"

"Yup."

He nodded, "very well. I shall help you Mrs. Song. After all, Cyborg ninjas are great detectives!"

She chuckled.

"Thanks, and um… could we keep this under wraps? I don't think anyone should know just yet. It could be nothing…"

The ninja stepped back to look at the shelves.

"I believe that to be an understatement Ms. Song. After all, it could mean everything."

* * *

I glanced down, the rain peppering my helmet.

My cape fluttered, and from my perch I probably looked like a gargoyle stalking his prey.

Lights illuminated the streets below and I narrowed my gaze.

My quarry's car took a left and followed the road.

"Anything unusual?"

"Nothing," Dig replied in my helmet, "he's just flirting with her still. Though she actually seems partly interested now."

"Good for him I guess."

Still, this is just making me feel like I wasted my night.

So far, the boy hadn't shown anything, nothing even remotely interesting or informing as why he disappeared then reappeared without a trace.

Hopefully, when he got back to his home he would slip up and let something come loose.

After all, I had all night to see what he was up too.

Aside from trying to get into Elizabeth's pants that is.

Fucking player.

As the car started to leave my line of sight, I followed.

A flash of light, which could easily be mistaken as lightning in this weather, and I blinked to the next roof.

 _Thunk, thunk!_

My feet trudged against the sleek metal as I ran, before jumping and boosting, using the extra height to align myself with the next roof before I blinked over to it.

The chase so far had brought me towards the end of the skyline, which impressively lasted over twenty blocks, but now as I got closer to the ground, my jumps we're getting easier to make, yet harder to keep secret.

At any moment a civilian could spot me if they really looked.

I rolled as I hit another roof, careful to avoid the shining metal dish pointed towards the sky.

The roof pulsated with blue light, and I wondered what material it was made of.

It seemed that most of the building were built of hard light or titanium, but the science of it all was lost on me.

I looked around, following the way point Dig had set and again blinked forward, appearing on the ledge of the roof before kicking off and using thrusters to carry me over the alley below and onto the next building.

My feet landed effortlessly and I glanced to up watching as the way point, aka the car I was following once more changed directions.

"Honestly, where does this guy live? Talk about dragging out the seduction…"

I looked for the nearest building, another ten story hardlight structures across a small street, and readies myself to jump.

Light pumped in my veins, and my eyes focused-

 _Whoosh_!

Orange light flared up behind me, the orange light of fire.

I turned around, my hands instantly going to my weapons, and blinked as I saw the roof was empty.

"Dig?"

"Well, I don't know what that flash was… but, cameras suggest just two blocks down something… exploded or.. I don't know blew fire? Its weird. The cameras in the exact area are all offline."

I narrowed my gaze.

"Weird…"

* * *

He ran.

Rain fell

Lights flickered on and off.

The alley and it's shadows clawed at his soul.

His feet carried him God knows where.

His heart raced as the booming voices of his assailants chased after him.

God, he had finally escaped! Finally!

But now they were on him, using the damn gangs of Oasis to hunt him down!

Fucking assholes! He just wanted to be left alone!

Suddenly his hand grew warm, and his eyes went wide.

No no! Not again!

Fuck!

That damn fire blast had already gotten their attention! He couldn't have it drawing in more people!

No no!

He looked up.

Too late.

Wham!

He flipped and hit the ground face first rolling to a hard stop against something metal.

Iron filled his mouth and he spat out blood.

Damn.

"Oh how kiddo, now where do you think your going?"

The voice was taunting and he glanced up to see a large man with a metal pipe standing above him.

"Talon pays pretty well. Wonder what we'll get for turning you in alive and wriggling to them."

His eyes went wide and he scrambled against the metal behind his back. Porbabkg a dumpster.

His arms grew warm.

No no! He couldn't!

Four more men appeared. They laughed at having caught him finally.

The lights flickered again in the rain.

Damn it all!

He was so close!

He looked to the building behind them.

It was hardight, like most of Oasis. He just needed to get to the side door.

He tried to stand, but the wet sidewalks, metallic for whatever reason, made him slip back on to his ass.

"Ah hah! You can do better kid! Come on!"

The man yanked him to his feet-

 _Wham_!

A fist carried past his face, his jaw aching as he stumbled further into the alley, his hands barely catching him from hitting his face.

He coughed.

Damn…

"Excuse me."

He blinked.

It was a girl's voice and he looked up.

A small girl, no older than twelve with dark skin and large eyes looked down at him with a sad smile.

"Are you okay?"

He just stared.

"Hey girly! Better back off! Little girls like you get beaten for less around here! Scramble on home to mama!"

The voice of the pipe wielder.

The girl sighed and looked up.

 _Clank. Clank._

His eyes went wide and up…. And up…

There was a machine behind her.

Tall, green with horns, piercing yellow eyes.

"And I must ask you not resist."

The machine raised it's arm, a large Cannon pointing directly at the men.

"Though I am programmed to avoid violence, I will make an exception today."

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Hey guys! I'm back! It's been a…. Time lately, but I'm finally running on all gears again, so I got this out ASAP.**

 **A quick update on myself, I've started going a bit more legit in the writing world, and have actually self published a few short stories on a site called Tapas. So, if you guys like my stuff, I'd really appreciate any support you're willing to give, whether its constructive criticism on my short stories, reviews, follows, anything really. My profile name on there is Lee Marburn. The link to my dashboard is on my profile since I can't upload it on this document. -_-**

 **I also may or may not start a that will take commissions for both original works, and fanfiction stuff for this site.**

 **Anyways, thanks again! So back to the Darkest Knight!**

 **So we have Hana and Genji becoming mischievous together.**

 **Nate tracking down some conspiracy or something else as usual.**

 **And now, Orisa there at the end! I'd always planned for her and Effi, to be introduced here and I'm happy to have finally got here.**

 **Now what's going on with this random boy? Who is he, and why would Talon want him?**

 **Reviews:**

 **Stormeye7: that's the whole point. Nate was never meant to be this boy scout you're always rooting for. He antisocial and has trauma that makes him do rash and unlikable things. The story is about his growth.**

 **MetricSonicJosh: no worries. Drama won't last long, but Hana and Nate are on separate adventures right now so yeah.**

 **StelarToe6133: he already had it with Hana and Tracer. Back in England.**

 **If anyone has any questions feel free to PM me!**

 **Also there's going to be a poll on my page and it involves the ending of this story. Nothing's spoiled but I want your opinions on it.**

 **So please go to my profile and vote on the poll! Thanks!**

 **Anyways thank you guys so much for sticking this through with me.**

 **Take care and God bless!**

 **-Metal4k**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N Surprise, surprise, im not dead. This story is not dead!**

 **Well at least not as dead as my love life...**

 **Lol. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **The Darkest Knight**

 **Part II the Claws of Talon**

 **Chapter 20: Mystery**

* * *

Hana glanced at the book in front of her, fingers gripping the cover with deadly force and her face scrunching in annoyance.

She knew a bit of japanese, but she was having a terrible time translating written word.

For whatever reason, in her oh so brilliant plan she had completely forgotten the fact that this was library in Japan… where they spoke Japanese… meaning the books were in Japanese… and she was not japanese…

She sighed and slapped the book shut.

Despite her horrendous translation ability, she had figured out enough to determine that the book in her hands was about the second World War, and though it was interesting she was pretty sure it had nothing to do with her riddle.

There was nothing about gold and silver, or the first of a kind or whatever in there.

Her eyes grew wide.

First of its kind….

Atomic bomb!

She gasped and flipped the book back open.

"Genji!" She called, quickly pulling herself to her feet, stumbling for a second before catching herself.

She turned to the table of contents, eyes managing to translate as she went. Her fingering tracked the numbers slowly going down as she looked, and looked….

Her finger found the chapter, the twelfth chapter to be precise, and she flipped to page three hundred and forty three.

The paper fluttered in her fingers, and her eyes shot to the title as she reached her destination.

It was then a light footfall met her ear, and she glanced back to see Genji casually strolling up to her from behind with three large books under one arm.

Where on earth he had come from or been was beyond her.

But she turned herself to face him as he approached and with a stupid smile, looked up and spoke, "I found a clue. The first of its kind? It has to be an atomic bomb! A major event in history, one that changed the face of the world, whatever the riddle is about is has to do with that!"

Genji stopped and tilted his head to the side, "I admire your spirit, but I think you may be wrong. The riddle was 'the first of his kind', and I believe that if your pursuers worded it that way, then they meant it spoke of a man, not a bomb."

The realization hit her and she frowned.

"Damn…"

However the Ninja didn't stop speaking and leaned against the wall, "however, the words in times of silver and gold, are far easier to discern."

He held up the trio of books, "the times of the samurai, an age where silver and gold made up a vast majority of physical wealth, along with incense and silk."

She blinked and crossed her arms, "so the riddle's about history?"

The ninja lowered the books and shrugged.

She rolled her eyes.

"Well, great. Now we just have to figure out the rest of it, what the hell does the first of his kind even stand for?"

She glared at the books, and her mind racked all her memories for something of use.

Of course there were a lot of first. First bishop, first inventor of the car, first man on the moon... so basically she had nothing.

"Damn it. What's the point of all this if I can't even figure out a stupid riddle!" She growled and threw a light punch into the wooden frame of the bookshelf. It creaked, but barely budged.

"Sharper than sword…"

She blinked and realized then that Genji was staring at the shelf next to him, his voice soft enough that it had become a mumble.

"Hana, how much time have you spent in the west?"

She narrowed her eyes and after a brief second of utter confusion, replied, "what the heck does that have to do with anything?"

"Sharper than sword. A metaphor I have heard once before from an American woman, but I cannot place where she got it from."

She tilted her head, her mind questioning both the ninjas thoughts and trying to see if maybe he had a point.

"What was the riddle again?" The Ninja turned to her.

She sighed and stretched one arm, "let me get my bag."

And so she left the confines of the bookshelves behind and made her way straight to the front, the air conditioner hitting her full blast and sending another shiver down her spine. Damn damp clothes.

The Librarian was sitting behind the front desk, glasses on as he read some older book cradled in his arms.

He failed to notice her as she passed and so she simply grabbed her bag, which had been conveniently been placed on top of the front desk, and made her way back to Genji.

The Ninja was in the same spot as when she left but was now reading a book with a worn cover, his expression undreadble as always.

With a mighty hmph, she pulled the tablet from the bag then dropped it on the floor next to her.

The screen was dark, but a quick tap to the screen brought it back to life, and lo and behold the riddle was dead center as it had been just the night before.

She stared at the words for a moment before looking up at Genji and clearing her throat.

Immediately the man looked to her, his faceplate revealing none of his thoughts.

Having his attention she read, "From times of silver and gold. The first of his kind. The most powerful of ours, but in the land foreign and not. Find that duller than pen, but separate from the world."

The man nodded gently, "riddles were something my brother always used to like, but that was a long time ago."

She looked to him again, this time curious as to what that meant, but the cyborg didn't look at her, instead closing the book in his hand and placing a hand under his chin as he obviously engorged himself in solving the riddle.

"We know that they are speaking of Medieval Times, but what is duller than a pen?"

She shook her head and bit her lip.

And what the heck did the most powerful of ours mean? In a land Foreign but not?

She sat down, laying the tablet on the floor in front of her as she leaned back against the bookshelves.

Duller than Pen…

Foreign…

Powerful…

It was a riddle right? Which meant metaphors and a lot of word play.

She rubbed her temples and leaned over the tablet.

"I have heard of another metaphor from Angela," Genjis voice caught her ear and she looked up at the man now rummaging through the books of the shelf across from her, "it was from an old book she used to have, something about the word being greater than the sword?"

A metaphor?

Her eyes grew wide.

Oh she was so stupid!

"Sharper than sword!" She smacked her forehead, "it's a thing in America, it's a saying that written word is sharper than sword! So if they're saying that which is duller than pen, then they're talking about a sword!"

The Ninja face palmed.

God they were dumb…

She shook her head and chuckled darkly, "geez, and here I was thinking i meant something about a bomb."

"So the riddle is about history and a sword?" Genji asked, plainly ignoring her statement.

She nodded slowly.

"Yeah but, I'm not sure what about the rest. Like, the most powerful of ours? What the heck does that even mean?"

They both stared down at the tablet.

Two parts down.

Two to go.

This was gonna be a long day.

* * *

 _Bang!_

I dropped into the alley below just as another gunshot echoed through the surrounding buildings, my eyes instantly calculating and assessing each and every threat.

A large, green machine with horns, five men with guns, and two kids taking cover behind said machine.

You know, if had been a movie, then it would be a really cool fight scene.

But it wasn't. So of course I have to intervene.

I blink forward, right past the machine and towards the wall of the building on my right.

The alleyway itself was large and wide, at least thirty feet wide, so I need a bit of momentum to help me reach them before they could fire on me.

You see, it's easy to tell that the men are your less than reputable group of citizens, and well anyone attacking a machine and two children was probably just a piece of trash that needed to be put down.

I kicked off the wall, two men looking up to see me and their eyes growing wide just as they tried to turn their guns towards me.

The first guy I reached was way too slow, and the momentum from kicking off the wall helped me bring my fist directly into his chin. His head shot to the side, the bone cracking from the sheer force behind my punch, and I landed on the ground with one foot before blinking towards the second man.

His gun was raised, but his apparent shock from seeing me kept his aim sloppy, and the single shot he gun off from the handgun went wide, and I reached him with a blade to his gut.

Lightning poured out from my body into his and smoke started to flow from his hair as the rain continued its torrential tribute on us.

I spun on my heel, my blade ripping out of the man and-

 _Wham!_

I hit the ground, my head reeling from the sudden shock of something hitting me with my guard down.

A sudden weight hit my chest and I gasped as a large metal foot pushed me down.

I looked up and found a large cannon aimed directly at my head.

Well shit.

Definitely not how I expected this to go down.

Immediately I raised my hands, my weapons disappearing as I stated, "whoa hold up, I'm a friend."

The large robot simply stared do at me, green glowing eyes narrowed dangerously as its foot glowed an untaral gold as it pressed down on my chest.

I grunted, and shifted uncomfortably, but considering this thing hadn't just blasted me into a million pieces meant it was still undecided about-

"You are an Overwatch agent." The machine spoke up, it voice highly feminine in nature and would actually be quiet soothing if it was for the death canon aimed at my face.

"I am." I nodded, momentarily grateful for the out it had given me as I also realized that the other attackers had split the second I was distracted. Great.

"Overwatch agents are not currently welcome in Oasis. The presence of Angela Ziegler was an academic honor for her position with the Scientific community, hence the strict no Valkyrie hardware allowed to travel with her."

I blinked under my helmet.

"Uh, what?"

"Unauthorized Overwatch agents are deemed hazardous and illegal. They are to be arrested on sight."

Well fuck me.

I dropped my hands, "Look, if I'm such a danger then why did I help you out huh? Instead of just killing you all out right?"

"That is exactly why I must take this precaution." The machines gun twirled and and pressure on my chest increased.

Great. Another psychotic robot that wants to murder me.

Theres a real fucking trend going on here. Ha, sounds like a bad fanfiction if you ask me, though Dig was a fan of the chessy shit.

The canon whirred and I felt the power of light coursing through me.

"Stop Orisa!"

The high pitch of the voice and the general softness of its tone had me looking up, well as much 'looking' one could do with a robot standing on top of you, to where the two children I had seen were still at.

A small girl was standing up, her arms crossed and a somber smile etched on her face, "We don't need to hurt him Orisa, he was just trying to help."

I rolled my eyes, "see? Even the twelve year old gets it."

"Eleven."

"Whatever."

But the Robot ignored me entirely and turned back to face its… its owner? Master? Well fuck it, I know what I meant, it turned back to face its owner and though its foot still held me down the pressured decreased greatly. To the point I could probably slip out if I tried.

"Efi-"

"He's not dangerous." The girls eyes suddenly landed on me as she continued, "he is Overwatch remember."

"But the law-"

"The law can be wrong." Efi smiled brightly and I felt strangely stupid…

This eleven year seemed really smart for her age. Like, that was some deep shit if you ask me.

The robot looked back down at me, canon still threatening to blow my head off, and in response, I shrugged.

"She's not wrong."

The robot, or Orisa as the little one called her, gave what could be best described as a sigh and took her foot off me before stepping back, and as I stood up I saw her canon still aimed at me, but now hovering slightly down as to not accidentally shoot me in the chest.

That, or she was aiming for the most precious part of my anatomy.

Still I lowered my hands and crossed my arms, leaning to the side to ensure I looked as non threatening as possible.

"Why are you here?" The Robot was quick to beat me to the punch and I sighed.

"Explosions? Gun fire? Bad guys? Overwatch Agent?" I replied twirling my hand in a vain attempt to help the robot link it all together.

It didn't reply and the girl instead stepped forward with the boy, who I could now tell was probably about the same age as Hana, following closely behind her, his hands wrapped cautiously around himself.

"So, I'm assuming you're here for him?" She asked and threw a thumb at the boy.

I blinked and tilted my head, "um should I be? I was chasing a lead in the city, and like I said, explosions and here I am to help."

The girl nodded and rubbed the back of her head, "these men were chasing him. I was assuming Overwatch had sent you after him as well."

I nodded slowly, "makes sense, but I have no idea who this kid is."

My eyes traveled to the boy in question, and I took in everything about him.

He was young, most likely a year or two younger than Hana, but aside from that he was a mess. Malnourished, long hair, no shirt, no shoes, calloused hands and arms. Scars on his chest, and if I had to bet his back too.

I frowned and stepped forward, "What's your name kid?"

He simply stared at me.

My eyes rolled and I shook my head, "whatever."

Thunder roared above us, lightning flashing off the hard light walls around us and I looked back to the street behind me.

"We should probably get off the street. Whoever hired those men-"

"Talon."

On a swivel my head spun back to the kid. His accent was a heavy jamaican, as he spoke, "It was Talon. They take me from me home, and now they want me back."

I nodded, "well any enemy of Talon is a friend of mine."

"Agreed," The eleven year old added and I couldn't help but grin. At least the kid had her head on straight.

I huffed and with a flash my rifle appeared on my back, "all right, so we know Talon's probably after this kid, which means we need to lay low now. You guys got a place?"

The kid shook her head, and was blushing as she replied, "my parents are probably going to mad I'm even out so late and I don't think they'll be willing to take a refugee into our hotel room..."

"Accurate." The robot added, to which I grinned and resisted the laugh.

Efi shot a glare at the robot, "oh hush! I have you don't I?"

The robot didn't reply and I instead took the que, "Okay whatever the case with you, we should all get off the streets."

 **Dig, any abandoned warehouses near by? Anything we can keep low key and off the radar?**

 **Give me a few.**

I looked at the boy, "I got a friend looking for a place to hide you, but first why does Talon even want you kid? No offense, you don't seem to be of the same caliber as-"

He opened his palm.

Fire appeared.

My eyes went wide.

"Well hot damn."

* * *

Eyes went wide, light bulbs clicking off in her head as she stood.

"A land foreign but not!" She slapped her forehead. "Genji!"

Again the Nina had disappeared searching the deeper parts of the library for anything that could help with their mystery riddle. Of course as she walked out towards the center isle the light 'pat' of feet alerted her to the ninjas presence.

She raised the book in hand and spun to face the greenlight's and booked filled arms.

"A land foreign but not." She pointed to the book, "border state's. I was reading up on other countries and apparently the USA has a few border cities that are so closely connected they're called twin cities and their cities are referred to as one metroplex."

The Ninja nodded, "they are referencing the countries on their borders, a land that is known to them but is foreign at the same time."

"Exactly," Hana slapped the book closed and grinned, "so I got to thinking, where could they be talking about?"

She dropped the book on a nearby table and she raised her hands, "I mean, in medieval times, so many places were basically forieyn but not, like kingdoms and towns and stuff. No way we could narrow that down."

The girl ran a hand through her hair, "but then I thought about how it says the most powerful of ours. So maybe it's referencing modern times, but there are plenty border towns so how would we narrow that down."

Then she grinned and pointed at Genji, "then I remembered the sword! So if we talk about medieval times and someone who has a sword, we can narrow down the search, since we know the riddle says the first of his kind we know they're talking about a guy who used a sword from the past, so something a town or whatever named after someone important like that."

Genji nodded then added, "and they say he was powerful in ours. What kind of man lives for centuries?"

She grinned, "only people of importance. People like military leaders, presidents, and religious leaders hence why I said he had to have been important."

Again the overwatch agent nodded, "so we're searching for a sword from medieval times from someone famous that still has influence today?"

She sighed and frowned, "yeah, when you say it like that it sounds hopeless."

But even as she felt her heart start to drop, Genji chuckled, "lucky for us, I am a fan of Japanese Tabloids."

With a flick of his first the books dropped and in his hand was a flimsy little tabloid, Hanas face plastered to the front.

She narrowed her eyes.

"You like that trash?"

He shrugged, "the stories yes, but alas, I am not talking about them. This tabloid talks about Elektra Karhn and Sasuko Gange and their visit to a museum."

His mechanical fingers flicked through the pages and stopped on a set of pages with a series of photos of the couple.

Much to her annoyance she noticed a few articles about her.

She sighed. "And how is this supposed to help?"

"The museums name."

She rolled her eyes before leaning in and studying the article.

"The Yoritomo museum?" She looked up at him in question, her mind racing to figure out what he was talking about.

"When I was little, I studied the great war Lord's of Japan to better understand our history." The cyborg sighed once more and pulled the magazine back under his arm. "When you spoke of a warrior in history, one that wielded a sword and was of a land foreign to you but not, I connected the dots."

Once more the cyborg leaned back on a foot, "Minamoto Yoritomo, the man the museum was named after, was a samurai and the first Shogun."

Her eyes went wide, "a samraui uses swords! The first of his kind and in Japan!"

She threw up her hands as everything landed into place,"Japan! A land that is foreign but not! Its culture is similar to Korea but not exact! That's what it means!"

Genji nodded, "exactly as I thought. But it speaks specifically of his sword."

The brightness in her eyes dropped, "oh no… don't tell me his sword is in that museum?"

There was barely any movement as he replied, "priced at sixteen million dollars."

Hana Song growled and threw her head back, "shibal! So what? We have to find this sword and they'll meet us there?"

Again the cyborg shook his head, "I do not believe a group living in the shadows as such would be so Noble."

The table before them shook as Hana kicked it, "damn it. I knew it."

Genji of course waited for Hanas anger to dissipate.

So with a sigh she turned to him.

"We're going to have to steal it."

A simple nod was his confirmation and she huffed, shoulders falling in defeat.

Half heartedly she grinned and clapped once, "fantastic! A world famous pro gamer and a cyborg have to steal an ancient artifact from a museum in the heart of Japan!"

"I cannot." His reply broke her facade and her eyes grew like watermelons.

"What!"

The man sighed as he continued, "Overwatch is not allowed to intervene and unfortunately, I am not a Black ops agent anymore. Interfering could cause strife between Japan and Overwatch."

She growled, "then why are you here!"

"To help, Ms Song, and to ensure you do not end up dead."

At his words, soft and kind as they were, she let out a huff of hot air and sunk as her chest deflated.

"Yeah, so much help thanks."

She rubbed her eyes.

"I'm not a thief Genji. I have no idea how I would even try to steal it!"

Genji, the polite gentleman he was simply nodded before walking over to her and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I may not be able to help, but you do not have to do this alone Hana."

She blinked as his words struck true.

"Oh no, no no. My friends would kill me for even thinking of it! Heck they might even report me to the general!"

Silence met her and she shook her head, pulling away from Genji and running a hand through her hair.

She knew he was technically right.

But they had been sworn to not do anything stupid or rash. Hell, she knew Nate wasn't here to bail her out this time, and though she was confident in Genji's abilities, she didn't want to tempt fate twice.

Still…

The sword had to be hers, if she wanted to figure this all out.

But her friends wouldn't ever agree.

"Hana."

She looked up and found Genji's back to her, the taller man looking over his shoulder at her.

"I must leave for now. There is... something, I must do. Tokyo is not far from here, and remember you are not alone. They aren't your friends for no reason."

She blinked, and in that instant the Ninja was gone.

How the hell he simply vanished so fast was beyond her.

But it didn't matter.

What mattered, was her choice here.

Damn it!

She huffed again and looked at the roof, silently pleading with God or whoever was out there, for another path.

And she stood in silence for an amount of time she couldn't remember.

Yet, no matter how long she stood, there was no answer.

Claire was back… and she was her best friend. Of course the blonde would have her back.

Ava? Kolden? She couldn't say.

Jullian would most likely wait to see who chose what, and Marques.

God, Marques was gonna be the worst.

Especially after their little argument.

Hell it's not like she could ask Nate for his help, or anyone from Overwatch. And she was on leave so getting her hands on some other recruits or a Mekka was obviously dumb and out of the question.

Hell, she probably wouldn't even be able to ask the general for help. This would be an international incident if she got caught.

"Damn it…" she sighed again.

But she didn't have a choice.

 _We need people who are smart…_

Those damn words!

She grit her teeth and with a huff stood straight.

She had to ask her friends.

Otherwise… she'd go it alone.

After all, someone had to figure this all out.

* * *

I glanced around, my body pivoting on my heel as my flashlight and gun scoured the room before us.

It was small, small enough it wouldn't draw attention.

But it was also the back area of a larger warehouse.

Which made me frown.

Warehouses and me didn't have the best track record.

Still, it was the only off the books place Dig could find in such a short time. The company who had owned this place had sold it off to the city of Oasis, and the old steel and concrete place was set to be demolished next month.

Which meant it was uninhabited and off the grid.

"Clear," I called as I lowered my weapon, spinning Last Word before I holstered it.

The warehouse itself, though generally empty minus the equipment used for manufacturing cars, was too large for adequate safety. So we had bypassed it all and settled on the larger back room that Dig said had been meant for office use.

The room itself was about thirty feet long and wide, and had a few pieces of trash and cardboard thrown around it.

However it had one entrance and only one large window that let you see out to the manufacturing floor. Unfortunately though the lights no longer worked.

And it's walls were made of concrete.

Not that it would stop the likes of Doomguy and fucking Grim Reaper, but it would hold against their goons.

"This seems… dangerous."

I glanced back at Effi, who was frowning as she looked about the room. Orisa stood behind her, the large machine still watching me with narrowed eyes though it was no longer aiming it's weapon at me. It was fortunate for the eleven year old that her robot had built in flashlight eyes.

"Course it is," I shrugged, "it's what happens whenever Talons involved."

She nodded, and from behind the two, came my newest friend the firebender.

Well I actually don't know what he does or is, but I call him firebender cause he made fire. Original right?

He walked past me, eyes unsteady and anxious as he scoured the room.

"You want me to stay here?"

"Bingo," I said leaning back against the wall, "got it in one."

His mouth dropped and he looked around, "this… this is, awful! They'll find me!"

I scoffed, "You want to be set up in a five star hotel where they can track you almost instantly and then they'll catch you and do good knows what?"

He glared at me but didn't reply.

I sighed and shook my head, "look, it's not perfect kid. But it's off the grid, and there's no paper trail hinting that you're here. Hell, I even used secret Overwatch transportation to get you here. No cameras would've gotten us."

And by secret transportation I mean transmatting them to the nearest building to this place while Dig killed any other cameras.

Sucked that I left my ship back in Gibraltor, but no Nate you won't need it, it's simple recon.

Recon my ass, Lena.

"But, I also need to know why Talon is after you. They don't just target anyone."

I could feel Effis and Orisa's attention turn back to him, and he fidgeted nervously.

Honestly? I felt kinda bad for him.

He was obviously mistreated and had Talon after him. Hell if I was a betting man, I'd bet my left arm that he was an escaped prisoner.

The boy, huffed, and shook as he straightened himself to speak.

"Talon had me prisoner."

Fucking knew it.

He swallowed hard as he continued, "they did experiments. _She_ , did experiments."

I narrowed my eyes, "who?"

He shivered, "the lady with red hair."

I blinked and shook my head when Effi suddenly spoke up, "you mean Moria O'Deorain?"

My head turned to the kid, "who?"

She sighed and crossed her arms, "she was a geneticist for Overwatch, she was even working for the Council here at one point before she disappeared."

"How do you know it's her?"

"He has fire, and was experimented on. Had to have been genetic experimentation for such results."

So apparently she's a lot smarter than I gave her credit for. Well, cool?

I shook my head gently and turned back to the kid, "okay, so this crazy mad scientist lady experimented on you. How'd you get away?"

He shrugged, "I don't know. I was being transported to a facility and then boom! The car flips, the doors open and I run."

Well, not much to go off of.

I sighed and rub the back of my neck.

"Okay, so you're, for lack of a better term, a mutant now and we need to keep you away from physco bitch. Easy enough, next step is, do you have family?"

He shook his head.

"Killed when I was taken."

"Shit," I huffed then continued, "okay, so this is the plan, you stay here and lay low for a few days whole I get in touch with Overwatch and figure out if we can house you at one of our facilities."

"That sounds dangerous leaving him alone," Effi added.

I rolled my eyes, "I know, but I have a cover to uphold and kind have to watch out for one of our agents. Besides, he'll be fine here. No cameras, places to hide. Perfect hideout from Talon."

She shook her head, "then I'm leaving, Orisa, here."

My eyes grew a bit wider and the robot itself looked down at her, "Effi, are you sure-"

"Positive. You have my emergency number, if anything happens all you have to do is call me and I'll send the police running."

"The police are only gonna get him killed," I retorted but the girl ignored me and instead kept talking.

"No they won't, they are far more capable here than in the west."

I shook my head, "There is in no way shape or form that leaving him to the police is a good idea. For all we know Talon's infiltrated the damn place as well!"

"I doubt it, besides even if they did, there's nothing on this planet that can stop Orisa."

The little girl smirked proudly and I once more was forced to hold my tongue on her blatant stupidity.

Stupid yet smart. Ironic.

"Besides father is here. He'll keep me safe and while you and Orisa keep our new friend safe, then once he is with Overwatch I would like a meeting with your director."

I blinked. "What? Why?"

She shrugged, "a few designs I have in mind for the Crusaders armor as well as yours. Plus I've always wanted to meet Tracer and Angela Ziegler."

A few moments passed as I again, had to wrap my head around the fact this was still a kid and not just some super genius or whatever.

"Fine." I rolled my eyes, "but you both keep me updated. Last thing I need is a childs blood on my hands."

"Of course," she shot a smile at the kid, and the kid smile back. Well, more like a grimace than a smile but probably cause he was out of practice.

Wouldn't really have much reason to smile as Talons prisoner.

Then her eyes once more studied the room, "but this place could use a few things."

"We are not a reality show, we're not setting him up for life or anything, just keeping him alive."

Her smile burned away into a glare and she frowned at me, "so are we just supposed to let him suffer and starve? He needs medical attention and food. Not to mention clothes."

I growled, "god, fine! I'll grab some stuff and be back."

She smiled, "Remember to bring Angela."

I narrowed my eyes.

"What?"

The girl rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms, the robot simply looking back between us as if studying our conversation.

"I mean, he needs help. I'm no medic, and you don't seem like one either. We need someone who can properly evaluate him, if that's okay with you?"

I was prepared to reply when I realized she wasn't looking at me and instead at the kid.

He shifted uncomfortably as my gaze landed on him, and gave a soft nod.

"Good." Effi smirked and crossed her arms, "so is that fine with you?"

I huffed, "you try convincing her."

"I don't know her, you do."

I frowned.

Technically, she had a point. This kid looked like he was in bad shape and I had no real reason to say no except for the fact me and Angela never got along and I'm pretty sure she hates me.

But… Ah fuck it.

"Fuck it, whatever. I'll get her. See if you can get the lights running in here," I replied and with flash was gone.

I landed with a grunt on the roof of the building next to us.

The lights were off and my armor, black as it was now, blended in perfectly with the night and rain.

My eyes turned to the skyscrapers beyond.

"Dig, how close can you get me to our hotel?"

Normally I'd just transmat in directly from my ship, but it wasn't here. Plus, leaving had been easier simply that I could be transmitted directly to the ground floor and cloak.

Now though?

I either had to go through the lobby, or somehow get to the roof.

Neither of which sounded like a good idea, and getting through the lobby was going to cause issues, if it was packed, plus that could let any undercover Talon agents know about my cover story as Mercy's cousin. I couldn't transmat directly onto the roof, because that few second delay of me forming could give me away to anyone who was watching.

Didn't want that. So i was gonna need two transmats, one close, and one to get me directly into the room.

Nothing too complicated.

 **So the roof then?**

 **Apparent- fuckin-ly.**

 **Ha sucks, well, I can get you within a few blocks radius. Any closer and it might look too suspicious.**

 **Good enough. Also, contact Winston, have him find a way to get my ship over here, things'll go way smoother if we have it with us rather than it collecting dust.**

As expected he didn't reply and instead a swirl of light over took me before I dropped onto a new roof and found myself staring at the towering skyscrapers of downtown Oasis all around me.

Thunder flashed and I stepped forward, quickly blinking upward and landing on another section of the buildings roof, the telltale thunk of my boots hitting the hard light roof echoing in the rain.

 **Okay this close enough?**

 **Yeah give me one sec to-**

My heart slowed and I felt instinct creep up on me… a warning.

I went wide eyed.

I threw myself to the side.

A flash of purple and black, a sword flashing through the air and rain where i had just been.

I hit the hard light roof with my shoulder first and rolled to my feet, Raze Lighter flashing onto my back and my hand gripping the handle and swinging it around in one fluid motion.

My eyes scanned the roof, but my assailant wasn't trying to hide.

It was the person from the warehouse back in Rio.

The one capable of teleporting farther than me, and helped the man piloting piloting the Samurai robot thing. The one dressed in all black, with hood and cloak to match.

I frowned.

They stood still, the sword in their left hand as they looked at me, their posture completely relaxed.

Now that unnerved me.

I grimaced under my helmet, and fueled light into my sword its flames growing larger as the light around us spread.

"Took you this long to find me?" I spat, and they shifted in stance; one leg forward and one back.

They were quiet and only the pattering of rain and distant thunder answered me.

 _Thummm…_ Thunder.

 _Plip, plip, plip…_ Rain

Something about this person…

It wasn't right.

I tightened my grip.

They lunged.

My eyes went wide, their speed was unnatural and I threw up my sword, blocking their strike for my throat.

An instant kill shot.

They weren't playing games.

I growled and twisted my wrist, dislodging my sword with a push, and swiping at their feet, they simply leapt back, before redirecting their momentum and lunging right back at me.

I blocked the side swipe, but they rebounded and came back from my other side. I twirled out of the way, and with one hand drew the Last Word.

I fired.

To my surprise, they twisted their sword, and with a flash of purple blocked my shot.

I fired twice more, and the air swirled around them as the suddenly teleported right at me.

 _Wham!_

A knee hit my chest, the sword spun around and a blade slashed across my chest.

Somehow it sliced straight through my shields and the edge of my armor, cutting it viciously but fortunately not hitting my flesh.

With a flash of void I flipped back and snarled, "who the hell are you?"

"I let others try to deal with you. I gave them each a try. But they failed. So i'll do it myself."

The voice was electronic, and muffled, yet deep and powerful.

But they didn't wait and lunged again.

I threw up my guard and blocked their first strike, then countered with a quick slash for their arm. They instinctively pulled back their arm and sword, which allowed me to continue my attack as I spun on my heel and slashed for their head.

They ducked, and threw an elbow into my gut.

It hit but i rolled with it and retaliated with a right hook to their face.

I felt my fist collide with metal, and they stumbled back, hand going to the mask, for whatever reason doing everything in their power to keep it in place.

Their form then shimmered and they disappeared.

 **Behind you!**

I ducked, then parried the sword swipe for my throat, before using the parrys momentum to roll past them and spin to my feet, swinging my sword as I went.

Of course they vanished again, and a second later appeared next to me, their fist raised as purple and black energy swirled around it.

I powered up Raze Lighter, its golden shield forming in front of just as energy shot from their fist. The balls of black and purple slammed into my shield, but the momentum somehow carried through and threw me back.

I hit the roof with my back before enveloping myself in void power and flipping back up.

Arc danced around me, the lightning blending in perfectly with the lightning in the sky.

I glanced around.

We were alone.

 **Dig, is the building empty?**

 **The building you're on is vacant right now. It's an engineering firm.**

I grinned.

 **Good.**

I blinked forward, two successive blinks that brought me in front of my attacker.

Their confusion showed in the weak parry they brought up to meet my arc blade, but it was futile since the moment my blade met theirs i detonated my light, and electricity swirled around us before blasting them back.

But much to my dismay they didn't disintegrate, which meant that like Hana's Mekka, they had tough enough armor that a simple arc detonation wouldn't harm them.

On the plus side, they struggled to stand and I took advantage of that.

I lunged forward, my blade still engulfed with arc power, and I drove it at their side.

The dodge was instant, and they used their momentum to spin around and kick my gut.

The blow barley fazed my, adn I wrapped my hand around their ankle before jamming my blade into- they vanished!

I went wide eyes, as the air before me shimmered momentarily before I ducked on instinct.

 _Wham!_

The kick hit me in the face, and threw me back.

I snarled as my booster accommodated for the momentum and launched me back at my opponent.

"Now you've pissed me off."

I slashed and they dodge to the right, but my speed was greater with arc, so before they could steady their form to defend or attack, I threw myself into them, shoulder hitting their chest with all the force I could muster before detonating another wave of pure Arc on them.

The surrounding roof cracked, the rain around us simply vaporized, and I was thrown back from the sheer force of my own detonation.

I hit the ground and rolled, gasping as my breath became heavy and my muscles ached.

Light, though powerful, should'nt be used to such extent in such a short time. There's a reason I try to pace it out when I fight after all.

But as I looked up, my eyes grew wide.

Now, I'm no Titan. I cant shoulder charge a Hive Knight and expect to kill it in one hit. Not even close, I lack the strength for that.

But against a normal human? My strength was enough that their chest cavity would collapse under that amount of force, add to the fact I detonated Arc on them, and anyone should've simply ceased to exist.

Yet…

This person was still alive.

They were hunched, clutching their chest as they kneeled, obviously injured.

But alive.

Their head turned to me.

"My turn."

The air shimmered.

And it all happened in less than half a second, fast enough that even a blink wouldn't have gotten me out of the way.

They disappeared.

The sound barrier broke twice, two successive booms that blasted chunks of the now damaged roof into the air and sent the rain flying in every direction.

Then there was a fist-

 _Boom!_

It hit my chin and I flew.

The air rushed by, and in a second, I hit something hard- _cracccckkkk_ \- and then I was inside a building, concrete and hard light falling all around me as i kept moving, my body colliding with several other objects, before-

 _Wham!_

I hit a wall and fell to my knees.

 _Hissssss…._

What was that noise?

 _Hissssss…_

My eyes went wide.

I couldn't breath.

 _Hisss….._

 **Shit! Nate, one of your lungs is collapsed! Holy hell! Whatever that was your armor is fucking toast! Its like you got hit by ten fist of havocs at once but somehow didn't die? Holy hell, you've got fractured ribs, a broken arm and a fractured femur! Shit internal bleeding too!**

I gasped as my light flared up, my armor and flesh beginning to repair as I tried to focus.

Years of experience came to me as I looked up and much to my annoyance….

They were standing there.

My eyes focused on them even as my body screamed in pain and I noticed just exactly where I was.

Somehow, I was in a large office building, and to top if off, there were two walls, with glorious holes twice the size of winston in them that led to where my adversary was standing, the rain and night sky behind them.

I grimaced as they started forward, a small limp in their step, though whether or not that as from me or from how fast they moved I didn't know.

Their sword was drawn and I instinctively called mine back into existence.

My legs shook as I forced myself to stand.

I didn't wait for them to reach me and blinked forward, my sword going straight for their side in a vain attempt to cleave them in two.

They blocked, and pushed back, forcing me to grimace as pain flared through my arms and chest. On instinct I blinked but instead of retreating I slammed into them and activated my boosters, throwing us directly back out the hole in the building and into the rain.

I twisted mid air as we fell, my chest aching and forcing me to gasp for breath as I thrust a fist into their chest.

It hit, but they grabbed my arm and pulled me in close.

Arc flared around me, basting out once more in the rain even as the air rushed by us and the ground approached.

A ragged breath left them, the voice changers in their helmet echoing and sounding even more demonic than before.

I drew my blade.

The air shimmered.

Then there was blinding light, and I suddenly hit hardlight.

My back screamed and a crack through my chest had my eyes going wide and coughs escaping my throat, blood flicking out and onto the inside of my helmet.

With a flash the helmet was gone, and ragged coughs tore through me.

Blood mixed with the puddles of rain underneath me, the hardlight surface reflecting a distorted image of my face back at me.

I looked up- and to my surprise- saw the skyscrappers around me.

How the hell…

"You…"

My eyes shot to the voices owner, and my attacker simply stood on the edge of the roof, their sword somehow back in their hand as they favored one leg.

"Are as resilient as ever."

I grimaced and tried to stand, but something in my leg popped and I fell to a knee.

"You teleoported me up here." I growled.

They then added, "and you hit the roof at near terminal velocity."

I chuckled.

They started forward as solar powered wrapped the air around me.

I drew Last Word, "bring it ass hole."

The air shimmered.

I raised my hand canon.

They vanished, and I kept my gun lowered but my head on a swivel.

The reappeared, the air behind me displacing to accommodate for them, and I twisted on my heel, throwing myself on my back as I fired and dodged their strike.

My bullets hit, but suddenly waves of… of what looked like pure shadow rolled off them and disintegrated my bullets.

I hit the roof, Raze Lighter appearing in my hand as they leapt into the air, lightning breaking the hold of night as they did.

Sword first they came down and I rolled to the side, barely avoiding the blade as it hit the hardlight and cracked the roof from the sheer force of their impact.

One foot beneath me I pushed up,, only for they to pivot and throw their weapon at me. In a hasty, and completely unbalanced move I threw up my sword and deflected theirs, letting it clatter to the ground next to me, but I stumbled back from the my lack of balance.

They disappeared.

 _Wham!_

A fist hit my gut, there was a spin of metal, and their heel connected with my chin. A hand locked onto the hilt of my sword and yanked it free, while a elbow drove itself home into my chest as another cracked echoed out.

Wide eyed and gasping, I fell back.

Again, I hit the roof back first, my chest aching as the Light tried to heal what were definitely several broken ribs in my upper and lower chest.

Then, my own sword came down for me.

Ting!

My eyes grew wide as a staff intercepted it.

My attacker looked to the side, as did I.

Blonde hair and blue eyes.

Angela pulled her staff back, spinning it as she went, forcing my attacker to block her strike to their head, but to my surprise the woman, still dressed in jeans and a button up, pulled a pistol from behind her and fired point blank.

The attackers shadow flared up once more to counter the round, but I had an opening.

Void engulfed my being once more, and I lunged myself at them, tackling them and using my strenght to twist and hurl them to the other side of the roof.

The hit the roof with a loud thunk, and my sword disappeared in a shower of light before reappearing in my hand.

Footsteps, and then Angela was besides me, her eyes lingering on me for a second with concern before looking back to the black robed assailant

I grimaced as arc swirled around me once more.

The assailant stood, still favoring one leg as their head tilted to the side.

"Always a woman that has to save you." They sighed, their voice dark and electric as they continued, "another day then."

They jumped back, the air shimmered, and with a sonic boom their body fell apart into nothingness.

I waited for them to strike.

But after a few minutes of silence, they never appeared.

A cough escaped my lips, blood soaking my hand as I tried to cover it, and the adrenaline suddenly came to a halt.

Pain wracked my body and I fell to a knee, gasping for air.

"Nathaniel, are you okay?"

Angela's face was suddenly before me.

And as rain splashed around us, I suddenly realized for the first just how gorgeous the woman actually was.

Huh.

But her eyes weren't on mine, instead they were surveying my body as her staff lay on the ground, and her hands held me up.

I coughed again, "I'll live."

She frowned, the feature somehow a stark contrast with her eyes, and she placed her hands under my shoulders before lifting me to my feet.

I groaned but the support was welcome and I let myself rest against her as she held me up.

"Who on earth was that?"

I shook my head, staring at their sword, which was still laying on the roof.

And like its owner it shimmered, then vanished.

I sighed.

"I don't know."

* * *

"Mei, love, are you sure th-thi-this, is the rig-right, p-pla-place?"

Chattering teeth filled the air, the light of the Chronal accelerator illuminating the dark room around them.

But much to Lena's dismay, the temperature was below freezing, which made sense considering winter was near and Mei had almost literally dragged her to the north pole on some wild excursion.

The scientist in question simply laughed, a quaint bubbly thing, from where she stood at a nearby computer, her little sidekick 'Snoball' powering it with his internal battery source.

Good thing the little bugger was solar powered.

"Of course. This station was abandoned even before Overwatch fell, but if its data is similar to that of the antarctic's…" The foreboding tone in the normally cheerful woman's voice would've made Lena frown.

But unfortunately she was too cold to care.

"Yes, yes you git, just get it o-ov-ver with. I'm b-bloo-bloody freezing!"

True to her words a chill swept through the station, its power having long failed.

Normally the walls should've held and kept the interior warmer than the outside where their snowmobile sat, but whatever happened here… well, there were holes in the walls, and the roof was shredded.

Mei said it was abandoned due to the climates dramatic shift a violent snowstorms.

But she knew neither of them really believed that.

Still, whatever happened here made Lena's gut twist.

But the cheery pilot pushed the feeling away and glanced around.

The room they were in was a mess. Chair knocked over, a few papers scattered about, and frost and snow directly underneath the hole in the center of the room.

She glared at the hole, and as if to spite her, a chilly breeze rushed though the room.

"Bloody nature…"

"What was that?" Mei asked glancing back.

Lena sighed, "nothing," but with a small smile she asked, "Anything on the magnetic field?"

Mei sighed as kept typing away, file after file opening as the scientist searched for something that related to the data she found or the data form the Amazon station.

"Nothing yet. It just doesn't make sense, how did they not have anything? The field is shifting and that's not good for anyone! They should've seen it! Should've reported something back to Overwatch!"

Should've…

The words made Lena flinch and she knew it was the pain in Mei's voice that made her do so. She knew the woman wasn't as over her friends death as she let on. Survivors guilt was definitely a thing.

They continued on in silence and as Lena surveyed the room, her thoughts went through everything they knew about this place.

When Mei had arrived back at Gibraltar after the Recall, much to their surprise considering she had survived the trek through Antarctica by herself, she had showed them the data from their station.

It clearly showed how the Earth's magnetic field was shifting, and how the temperatures around the globe were changing, how the very light from the sun was shining differently.

Something was wrong, they knew that, but with their hands full with Talon, the Nexus, and the brewing war in Russia, not to mention the fact they had only a handful of agents, they simply didn't have the resources to put as much attention onto this as they wanted.

Hence why Winston sent her and Mei out to the other abandoned station to find out what they could.

It was only two of them, and Mei was brilliant enough to figure out whatever it was they were looking for, Lena was simply here as a precaution.

Last thing they wanted was the Reaper showing up and…

Black.

Lena blinked and took a step forward.

There was something black on the floor.

She tilted her head and squinted trying to see it from her place near Mei, since she had zero desire to actually move.

But the black… whatever it was didn't move, and it was covered by debris and snow.

She frowned and her sixth sense told her to investigate.

"Bloody hell…" She grimaced and strood to the other side of the room, carefuly to walk around the chunk of roof in the middle where it had fallen in.

The snow crunched under her boots as she went and another gust blew through the room, making her frown deepen.

A desk, pushed into an awkward position stood before her and the debris and with a grumble, the agile woman on it before looking down at the debris.

It was black cloth sticking out from underneath a large chunk of roof slathered in snow and ice.

Anyone should've ignored it.

Jackets we're forgotten everywhere.

It shouldn't have been different here.

But for some reason… for some reason Lena had to step forward and even as the ice bit at her hands, she lifted the debris.

She gasped.

"Mei!"

The urgency in her voice carried high and wide and as the scientist stepped up next to her, eyes wide in horror.

Before them sat not one… but three skeletons, scorch marks around them, and there skeletons and clothes literally feet apart as if they been torn to shreds.

A gun lay near one of the obviously severed hands.

Old blood stains tainted the ground near them, the cold and roof having preserved them.

Lena shivered.

Something about this place _definitely_ felt wrong.

"Mei," she looked at the older woman.

"What the hell happened here?"

* * *

"Please… stop…"

The woman from the party, Elizabeth, the woman who had sought to seduce both Nathaniel and N'Tuk, cried as she fell to the ground.

The boy, N'Tuk Meza, sighed form his spot on his bed, his eyes focused on the tablet before him.

"Please…"

He sighed, and looked up to the only other person in the room; another woman, with pale skin and dark red hair that fell past her shoulders. Gorgeous, in a dangerous and silent way.

"Can you just get it over with already?" He growled.

The woman, simply sighed, and kneeled down next to Elizabeth.

She raised a hand.

"Tell me, who sent you."

Elizabeth gasped and shook, gashes across her once flawless skin leaking blood as she spoke, "it was, it was a woman."

The other woman twirled her hand when she stopped speaking, and dark purple blades grew from in between her fingers.

"Talk."

"She, she bribed. Said I could have a thousand dollars for taking the job, then ten after. She she, I couldn't see her. It was took dark I swear to God!"

Elizabeth shook as she dragged herself away from the woman and towards a wall in some feeble attempt to escape.

The woman huffed and with a flick of her wrist sent the blades at Elizabeth.

The sobs stopped.

N'Tuk flinched and sighed again before he asked, "do you think it's them?*

The woman frowned.

"Doubt it. They let us go, we weren't of use like _he_ was." Her voice was pleasant but held an edge to it.

"Then who sent her I wonder." N'Tuk stared at the once beautiful woman, now a corpse and sighed, "I'll send for a clean up team."

"Your father can't know."

"He doesn't. Besides, by the end of the month I'll be in charge. Damn prick has it coming anyway." The man scoffed.

The woman smirked.

Then the man's eyes went wide, "what if it's Overwatch?"

She frowned, "of course it's not. Even with that knew Knight of theirs they wouldn't send someone like this."

Her eyes, filled with disappointment, roamed to the body.

"So what do we do?"

The woman pursed her lips.

"Overwatch is in the city. So is Talon. We wait and see who acts first. Maybe then we'll find out who sent her, and then we can strike. After all,"

A purple dagger appeared in her hand.

She grinned.

"We are superior in every way."

* * *

 **A/N**

 **So I'm back! Yay. Took a while sorry, but things have been hectic.**

 **Anyway, here we are! Bunch of foreshadowing and now throwing the other two arcs of this story, the one involving Tracer and the other involving these people. Trust me when I say both will have resounding consequences.**

 **Now we have Hana not doing to much this chapter and only focusing on figuring out her riddle which she does. I was planning on writing out every step and detail of her figuring it out, but that would've taken another chapter or two, and with how dragged out the first few chapters of part II have been I didn't think you'd want that, neither did I, so I just got to her figuring it out. It did take her a while and even with the help of Genji, but Hanas smart so yeah. She'll have more time next chapter as she obviously has to convince her friends to help her as Genji is going off to do... something. He does have a interests in Japan after all.**

 **No Soldier 76 here, but he's still out there searching for Talon I can tell you that.**

 **Nate gets more time in this chapter because his arc is intertwined with several others, and he gets to fight the mysterious person from earlier in the story if you remember them, and now we find someone capable of fighting Nate and even beating him. Hell, its only thanks to Mercy he's even alive. This figure didn't have a significant role in the first Part because it was an intro and not as much plot in regards to the rest of the story. However they are gonna be a huge threat as you can see, they almost beat Nate in a fight. But Angela has his back, despite not liking him. Also Effi, and Orisa are gonna be making more appearances, as well as our mystery boy who might have fire powers. We'll see more of them all next chapter.**

 **Now Tracer. Her arc in this part is big, big enough that in two chapters time she 'll have an entire two chapters dedicated solely to her. Even then, a chapter after will only have bits of Nate and Hana, till her arc connects with everything else.**

 **N'Tuk and this woman. Who're they afraid of? Who're they hiding from? Any idea who's powers she is based off of?**

 **Anyway hope you guys enjoyed! Leave a review and PM if you have questions.**

 **God bless you all!**

 **-Metal4k**


	22. Chapter 22

**The Darkest Knight**

 **Part II: The Claws of Talon**

 **Chapter 21: The Sword**

* * *

"Son of a bitch..." I growled and fell back onto the couch in our hotel room, Angela frowning as she left me and headed over to her suitcase.

I grimaced as my armor left me in a sparkle of light.

 **No one followed you. Seems clear to me and the warehouse is safe still, no ones even gone near it**. Dig informed me, though his voice was definitely tinted with worry.

Either way I nodded as the blonde reapeared next to me, a syringe in hand which she slapped into my bicep without any hesitation.

A grimace graced my face and I rasied an eyebrow at her.

She took the cue and explained, "nanites and several drugs I personally developed for a quick patch, it wont heal you overnight but itll get you moving again, enough so if we need to flee, we wont have to worry about your condition."

"Why would we flee?"

Suddenly a flash of light appeared next to us, and Dig in all his glory twirled high into the air.

It was then he spoke as Angela crossed her arms and stepped back, "Nate, they knew you. and they work with Talon. Our covers probably blown and they know your injured. I wouldn't put it past them to try something within a few hours while your resting."

The woman nodded, "I agree, which is why we needed fast acting treatment."

I frowned and sat straight even as i could _feel_ the broken bones rubbing together, jolts of pain shooting all over me.

Still, it didn't keep me from retorting, "I don't think thats true."

When I saw Angela rasie an eyebrow and I could feel Digs confusion I held up a hand to cut off any response and continued, "think about it. If they knew me, why not target me when im not expecting it? Why wait till I'm armored and ready?"

"False sense of security?" Dig replied, though his voice held no actual belief in the statement.

I shook my head, "doubt it."

"Then its personal."

We looked to the doctor and she sighed, rubbing her temples as she spoke, "it makes sense. If they wanted you or myself they would've struck sooner while we were unprepared."

"They wanted me alone and ready." I frowned, "but that hints at personal knowledge and theyre tech... more advanced than even my own."

Not to mention weilding supernatural power...

"So what do we do?" Dig asked twirling once as his light slightly dimmed.

I pursed my lips.

Angela stood and walked towards the fridge in our room while my mind raced.

What could we do honestly?

Its not like we knew who they were, and if they hadnt revealed us to Talon or attacked us together, then it didnt make sense to run.

But heading back to Gibraltor wasnt a bad idea...

Images of fire and the kid filled my mind and I sighed.

Damnit. Gotta figure out that problem.

"We should head back to base and infrom the others."

My eyes moved to the doctor, her back to me as she stood still, eyes locked on the open fridge.

She looked... sad...

The emotion and pity I felt didn't stop my response however, "Can't. There's unfinished buisness here."

Her eyes turned to me and I continued, "found some kid getting chased down by low lifes. Low lifes hired by Talon."

Her brow furrowed.

"Why would they want a child?"

"Why did they want Hana ?" I asked back.

She grimaced, "she had said they asked her for codes? Codes they assumed she would have because of her position right?"

I nodded.

"It doesn't make sense," I sat up, my nose scrunching as my bones ached, "but, what we can bet on is that this person probably doesn't want Talon on us, at least not yet. Otherwise they would've sent someone after you too."

"Fair," the blonde nodded softly, "but its possible that if theyre desperate enough they could send dozens of other agents after you , regardless of the risk."

"Us" I sighed, "remember, they know my name, so they'll know we're here together."

"Then we assume no one is on our side."

I frowned.

 **What about that kid with fire? No way he was working with Talon.**

 _Effi and Orisa?_

 **Not a chance. The Girls too pure.**

"Maybe," I replied, "At the very least, we shouldnt trust anyone who approaches us and offers us anything."

"Nor should we go anywhere alone anymore." Her gaze fixed itself on me with the smallest frown etched below it.

I rolled my eyes, "I'll be fine alone. Its you I'm worried about."

Her breathing hitched but she held her tongue and glared at me, "they knew you by name Nate. They overpowered you and cornered you alone. They're after you."

I huffed, but had no rebuttal.

I know shes right, but... damnit, that kid. He was apart of whatevers going on here, especially with those bizarre fire powers of his.

I know he didnt have light in him, it wouldve been all to easy to sense it here, but if not that... then what?

What was _he_?

"We need to leave." Her voice interrupted my thoughts again.

I frowned, "not yet."

She raised an eyebrow at me, and I replied with an inaudible sigh, "its not cause I don't think we shouldn't... but..."

I pursed my lips.

"I was out today chasing a lead, something Winston set me on, when there was this firefight, like actual explosion of fire and stuff. Ran over and found this robot with two kids fighting off thugs. The thugs working for Talon."

My eyes caught hers and both sets narrowed at the implication.

"I don't know what they want with him, but he has... these abilities, different enough than my own that it raises all sorts of questions."

"Then we bring him with us. The base is far more secure than this hotel, and we'll have plenty of equipment to help understand whatever these abilities are."

I shook my head, "if my attacker has intimate knowledge of me, then the base will surely become a target if im there."

"Then stay and the boy and I will leave." She shrugged.

My teeth grit together, "thanks for the concern."

"My pleasure," she huffed ignoring me and marching over to her bed.

An exasperated chuckle echoed from my throat.

"Look, you don't like me, I get it." I started, shifting on the couch to look over at her, "but we have to figure out whats going on, and taking him back to Gibraltor won't do that."

Her eyes, tinged with curiosity, flicked upwards to meet mine, "what're you saying Nathaniel?"

"Bait."

It was almost instantly that her patience vanished amd she scowled and me with clear disgust, "use a child as a distraction!"

I rolled my eyes, "please, its not that big a deal. Hana is literally doing the same thing."

"And she was happy with that?"

i glared at her, "okay well what choice do we have? Sure we save the kid by going back to base, but what if there are others like him? What if Talon has more kids?"

She was quiet but her frown never lessened.

"Look, Im not a fan of using this kid as a decoy, but what choice do we have? We have no fucking clue what Talon is up to, its only us without any real support, and we just found someone who can go toe to toe with me."

She huffed, but I ignored it and continued.

"We can lure them out. Keep the kid here. Show distrust, keep him in the open, and when they come we snag a hostage amd get any info we can."

"I doubt he'll agree."

I shrugged, "then we don't tell him. It'll make it way more believable that way."

"And leave him risking his life? The ends do not justify the mean Nathaniel!"

"Yes they do!" I laughed, but my voice lacked any joy.

She frowned and stood taller.

"You will not lay a hand on him Nathaniel. He is not a tool."

I scoffed, "or what? You gonna fight me?"

A loud thunk, and I tensed as her staff twirled once more in her hands. Where she pulled it from-

"If I must."

I scowled and with a grunt, stood up, body and bones screaming at me to sit the fuck back down.

"Then do it. I'll tie you up and leave you here while I'll deal with this." I straightened myself.

She chuckled darkly, "as you are now? A child could defeat you."

Unfortunately, she was probably right, considering how hurt I was.

But fuck I couldn't let it show!

I steeled my face and ignored the pain.

"Try me."

She tensed, her eyes zeroing in on me.

I placed one foot behind me.

"This isn't a game Nathaniel."

Ever the pacifist, she was still trying to convince me, but I saw her stance and the way she held her staff lazily at her side.

She could bring it on me in a second if she wished.

I could close the distance in less that.

But injured, I doubt I could block without hurting myself.

"I know its not, Angela." My voice mocked her.

She didn't rise to the bait.

Instead she continued, "we are not immortal. Not like you."

My eyes grew wide.

How did she-

"Did you really think Winston kept it from us? From those who are supposed to work with you? Im aware of how you sacrificed yourself to destroy the Talon base in the UK. Admirable, but foolish."

"Foolish?" I took a step forward, "foolish is thinking the world is peace amd tranquility. Foolish is not using every tool at your disposal to win."

"Even if that means you risk an innocents life?"

"Yes."

"Then I suppose you wouldnt care if Ms. Song died?"

"Well its..."

My response died in my throat.

"I didn't think you would." She sighed and rubbed her forehead, "we cant all be immortal, but we can all strive to be better than our enemies. Throwing away a life, even your own, makes you just as flawed as them. We fight to protect life. They take it without care."

I looked away.

"Can you honestly say you dont care about any of our lives enough to simply let us die?"

I frowned.

I had killed in Rio, without a second thought.

But that was against Thugs and Terrorists. People who didnt care for the innocents.

And in South Korea I had done everything in my power to save Hana Song, and innocent bystander all things considered.

Had I been blinded by my hatred for Talon?

Enough to throw away the life of an innocent boy just for information?

 **Nate... I gotta agree with her, this isnt the Last City. It's different rules, for fucks sake look at yours and Hana's last talk. You treated her like an immortal gauradian, and look how that went.**

My shoulders tensed and ready, lowered and I looked back to Angela.

"Look," it was Dig who spoke, floating between us, "we can tell him whats happening, or at least some details. Give him part of the picture, but not the whole thing. Enough so he can agree or not. He does, then we use him. If not, we go to gibralator. Sound fair?"

I knew it wasnt, it was more of Angela's plan than mine, but his words rung true in my head.

This wasn't the last city. These people weren't Guradians.

I had to stop treating them like they were immortal.

I huffed then nodded.

"Thank you." The blonde sighed and her tension drained away into exhaustion.

I faked a smile.

"Of course."

* * *

Hana Song.

Captain. Gamer. Idol.

The pinnacle of jealousy for women, and the heart throb of men across the world.

And yet...

She turned away from the eyes of her friends.

"Okay..." Marques huffed, leaning forward in his seat, "so there was a riddle... and you figured out said riddle, and you think its asking you to steal a sword... from a muesuem..."

Ava stared at her with eyes like saucers.

Kolden coughed and turned back to his computer on the table.

Jullian was stone faced, but had a singular eyebrow raised half a centimeter.

And of course Claire...

Claire, stared at her with barely concealed shock, holding her head in one hand and one eye open in shock.

In hindsight, maybe she should've used a bit more subtlety when telling them her plan...

Waiting till they were back at the compound? Great!

Starting with 'so we need to rob a museum'... well, not so great.

She sighed and rubbed her temples as the American continued, "we're suppposed to keep our heads down. Sure, yeah okay, how is robbing a museum in another country keeping our heads down! Plus this riddle? What if its all a sham? Like, for fuck sakes Hana!"

She flinched at the anger.

"Marques, has a point. This is a real bad idea Hana. Heck, what if we're being played by this... this group that wants you? What if they want us caught?"

She frowned

All of that had already run through her head, amd honestly? She knew they were right. Logically, everything they said shouldve made her stop this madness.

But she couldn't. She needed to figure out what was going on.

"I get it," she huffed and her friends mistakenly relaxed, "but it doesnt matter. Overwatch and the miltary arent gonna keep babysitting us. We have to do this for ourselves."

"Ourselves? We could at least clear it with the general, like have you even reported to him yet? Have you even informed him we're alive?"

She grit her teeth, "okay I forgot, but its fine. Overwatch has an agent watching us, he helped me solve the riddle, so im sure the general knows were fine."

"Great, your boyfriend's here." Marques scoffed, pushing himself up and away from the table.

She scowled, "Nate is not anything to me, but its not even him. Its another agent."

 _Genji_... but she didnt want to let that be known. It wasn't her choice.

Plus, it was her ace. If they got into it to deep, she was sure he'd bail them out.

"So what?" Claire huffed, her voice lacking both the anger and intensity of Marques's, "Overwatch is complicit?"

"More like turning a blind eye."

The blonde buried her face in her hands.

Marques sighed louder than before and turned away from her.

Ava simply looked down and Kolden huffed in annoyance.

"So whats the catch? We do this then what?"

She blinked, confusion striking her harder than a bowling twleve pins, and looked to Kolden.

He didn't meet her eyes and stared at his computer. His fingers didn't move.

"Well," she started, her voice lower than usual, "I was attacked they said they needed smart people. Brains over brawn type thing. And Im assuming me figuring out this riddle and taking this sword proves both. It'll lure them in, it'll show me whos in charge and who it is were dealing with."

"Bait then. Thats what you're doing."

She sighed, "in a sense, but not without precautions. The agent will help out if we need it, plus they don't want to kill me."

"Could've fooled me," Marques spat.

She shot the boy a glare then added, "if they did, then they would've done it in Korea. It's not like I had a load of backup when that white ninja dude attacked. They cold've ended me then and there but they didn't and I want to know why."

The boy matched her glare but failed to reply, obviously conceding to the logic.

"So when we doing this?"

All eyes shot to the resident 'nerd', Marques and Claire both looking at him like he shot someone, while Ava's expression was somewhere between shock and pride.

"You're," Claire struggled to find words, "you can't be on board with this dude! This is stupid! Like, stupider than when we decided to sneak out of that ball in Italy! Like this could land us in prison for years! Not to mention dishonorable discharge!"

Kolden shrugged and turned his eyes to Hana.

She gulped as he spoke, "would you do it without us?"

Her silence answered for her.

"Then yeah, I'm on board," he sighed and leaned back staring at the roof, "I think its a stupid as hell idea, but if there's anything I've learned, its that Hana's gonna do it by herself. I'd rather I be there to help her when shit hits the fan, than be sitting here twiddling my thumbs." He looked at Marques.

The boys cheeks grew red, having remembered his criticisms of her doing everything alone, and Hana smirked despite the veiled insults. Didn't matter if they agreed, so long as they helped. Of course, them having her back was great too.

"God dang it," Claire sighed, "fine."

Ava smiled and nodded, and Jullian simply shrugged, his ever silent persona helping to calm Hana slightly.

She looked to Marques.

He met her eyes.

Would he-

"Fuck it. Whats your plan?"

She grinned but then realized his words and her smirk instantly died, her mood taking a complete one eighty.

What was her plan?

Honestly... she didn't even think they'd say yes! She was already further along than she thought she'd get!

"Well, I wasnt really sure yet..." her voice was smaller than usual, but she huffed and continued, "but i figure we'll need a getaway driver, a distra-"

"Basically you have nothing." Koldens voice was dull and his eyes unwavering.

She frowned, "well, yes, but not really-"

"Okay," Kolden spun his laptop to face them, "you realize that this museum is one of the most secure in the world? its artifacts are priced at over 750 hundred million dollars. Dollars, not yen. Security provided by Helix, motion sensors, infared, armed gaurds and everything."

He rubbed his temple, "Hana, how the fuck are we supposed to do this?"

She pursed her lips.

Her mind raced. Kolden, to an extent, was right. Her team, expert pilots, gamers, and soldiers, none of them were master theives.

Which meant her plan had been foolish for the start. Doomed to fail.

But...

She didnt have much a choice. Sure relaxing and spending time with her team was great, but this was a mission. She had to find out who was after her.

They had the excuse of why they shouldn't do it. No one would call them cowards or say they made the wrong choice by _not_ robbing a museum.

Still, she knew she had too.

She bit her lip.

But where did she start?

Movies though generally inaccurate, they sometimes had a semblance of truth.

If she followed that logic...

First thing they would need... a distraction, and if there was anything she knew, you also needed a getaway driver.

Brown eyes shifted to Marques, "you're loud..."

His brow crunched in confusion but she held up a hand, "but you can bullshit your way out of almost anything. We'll need a distraction."

His eyes lit up, "this isnt a movie though. We're not gonna blow something up and get away scotch free-"

"I know," she waved her hand, "so we'll need something believable."

He nodded hesitantly, and though she lacked ideas it was Jullian who spoke up and drew all their attention.

With a serene voice he added, "affection. People are uncomfortable with it. Do you ever stare or look at someone who is kissing in public?"

Hana shook her head, with the other speaking their own answers.

The man nodded, "what if you were to flip that in order to draw attention? A couple fighting, always draws attention especially when the man seems violent."

Realization hit her, and she replied, "a break up. Loud and obnoxious, with Marques being physical."

"Hold up I'm not being an abusive boyfriend!"

"No," Jullian shook his head, "being physical will warrant intervention, and will end the distraction sooner plus get Marques captured. All he must do, is give off the body language to _insinuate_ he can be violent."

"And that will keep people interested and watching. Even the gaurds will be distracted, its taboo to do that in public." Hana grinned.

Marqies sighed but didnt retort, silently showing his support.

But Koldens voice interupted, "great idea and all, still doesnt get rid of our camera problem and guard issues."

Hana frowned, "true. Wheres the sword?"

"Third floor. No idea how many guards though."

She nodded softly, "if Marques starts the distraction at the entrance of the third floor, that'll give me time to go for the sword at least. Is there anyway to kill the cameras?"

Kolden bit his lip.

"Its possible to use a piece of malware to do it. I can connect to their network and have it seek out desktop IPs. If its fast enough, in theory it could overload their system with information, so much the cameras system will freeze up. Problem is their communications. Without a direct link or a jammer, not much I can do about that."

"Well..."

All heads turned to Ava.

Her cheeks darkened ans she sputtered, "we-well- um, is hard to find jammer in Korea. But Japan... Easy. Old friend be able to help. He smart like Kolden and make things for fun."

"Do you know how hard it is to make a jammer?" Kolden huffed.

"He make super charge engine when seven."

Hana blinked.

"How the fu-"

"Doesnt matter," Hana snapped, "if he can do it we need it."

Kolden rolled his eyes, "still, they have gaurds and most likely automatic lockdowns in case of a theft."

"Cut the power."

Eyes turned to the blonde of their group.

She shrugged, "can't lockdown if theres no power."

"Backup generators."

"Yup, that's why we blow out the fuses. Shot circut the whole system."

"We'd need something the size of Mekka to even come close to displacing that kind of power."

Hana grinned.

"Ava... has your friend ever made a dual fusion core?"

The girl, blinked, "maybe?"

Kolden sighed.

"Hana no..."

She smiled.

"Hana yes."

* * *

I grimaced as I stood, my armor covering me once more, but my body still sore from the realative ass kicking I took.

The pain was there but I simply ignored it and kept walking.

The glowing eyss of Orisa met me and the robots head tilted to the side curiously.

"Youre gait is off by about five percent, which suggets injury."

"Thanks for the concern?" I asked, quizzically raising and eyebrow behind my visor.

I stepped past her and found both Effi and the boy sitting on a rather old looking matress.

They were palying chess.

Huh.

Neat.

Both of their eyes locked onto me: or more precisely, the bags of food hanging from my hand.

"I didn't rob anyone I swear."

Effi smiled good naturedly, but the boy narrowed his eyes at me, obviously unsure what to name of my statement.

I chuckled at his expression, "its a joke man. Relax, bought it from a convenience store."

He didn't bother to hide his sigh, but his face lost its edge and he gave me what i assumed was his equivalent of a smile: the smallest twitch of his lips.

Eh. Whatever.

I made my way over and tossed the kid some kind of fast food burrito looking thing with a bottle of water. It was opened a second later and he ate with enough gusto to put Titans to shame.

My eyes lingered for a second before moving to Effi, who was also looking at him with obvious concern.

Still, she took the food I offered, then turned back to me to ask, "so what were you doing?"

I pursed my lips and looked to the kid, who was thoroughly engrossed in his sandwhich thing.

Decideing he at least had some right to know, I spoke, "ran into some trouble. Talon agent I think."

The boy froze and his eyes turned to me in fear.

I shook my head, "I dont think they were after you. Didn't even ask about you."

He visibily relaxed.

Effi on the other hand looked at me and responded, "what did they want?"

I shrugged, "the wanted me. Guess Talon has a grudge against me."

She nodded and frowned, "they're getting bold."

I couldnt help but nod with her.

They were getting bold.

Attacking both me and the kid in the middle of a large city? One of the most advanced in the world?

Still, there was more to discuss rather than Talon.

I cleared my throat, drawing three lairs of eyes and asked, "so kid, tell me what kind of experiments did Talon run on you?"

His face grew dark.

Effi gasped, "you cant just ask him that!"

I ignored her and continued, "I talked with an Overwatch rep. We have two plans, bur first I need to know what exactly it is we're up against here. Last time we didn't find the full picture, Talon attacked the UN, and almost succeded in wiping out world leadership."

Effi grew silent at that, curiousity winning out as she looked at the boy in question.

His eyes were closed and he was breathing fast, obviously trying to control himself.

My moved to the Last Word.

Just in case.

His eyes opened, and with a fire in them I had rarely seen even in Guardians.

"One condition."

I crossed my arms and relaxed.

"Shoot."

"When we find them, promise me you'll kill every last one of them."

* * *

Lena stalked forward, her weapons trained on the darkness before her without so much as a second thought as to what was behind her.

Fortunately, the telltale footsteps of Mei, assured her, her back was being covered.

Still, the skeletons in the main testing center of the base sent a horrible feeling running down her spine.

"This was a climate facility right?" She asked, her voice softer than normal and far more tame.

"Yes! I dont know how they would died such horrible deaths..."

"Me either love."

Lenas frown only deepend.

The doors around them, the rooms and windows to various parts of the base, were all but closed and inoperable.

It was a ghost town.

Aside from the skeletons laying everywhere.

Mei had informed her of how many people had been at this base.

Around fifty. At least.

Yet, the last report Overwatch had had from them, was years ago and talking about the climates sudden change in the north.

Nothing about them being attacked.

She frowned as they moved forward.

The bodies and weapons, along with scorch marks and dried blood stains.

It didnt make sense.

"The bodies ahead..." Mei's solem tone hit her liek a ton of bricks, and she glanced further ahead.

It was a set of doors pried open, their very metal bent outwards and ripped open from what had to have been sheer force.

At least ten skeletons laid outside, various weaponry and parts thrown about where they had made an obvious stand to protect the door.

"What the bloody hell were they protecting?" she mumbled as she continued forward.

Their steps echoed out, metallic thumps that only made the scene worse than what it was.

And Lena, for all her cheer, could only shiver at the darkness around them.

She wasn't sure if the people had died trying to run, or if they had been protecting something behind that door.

With an annoyed grimace she pressed on, carefully stepping over each body.

It was hard not to wonder who they were, who they had been.

Had they left family behind? Friends?

A loved one like Emily?

She shook her head.

No point on dwelling on it, she figured, and with that final thougt she stepped over three skulls, the rest of them ripped apart beyond recognition, and into the room.

It was a mess.

The room had at least fifteen bodies scattered around it. Weapons laying near most of them, and scorch and bullet marks burnt into the walls and roof.

She scanned the room for hostiles, though instinct told her there were none.

Alas, it was true, and the room held naught but remains and a few terminals and-

She blinked.

"What the hell?"

In the center of the room, floating in an obvious containment chamber, was a sword.

She'd seen it before.

It was Nates sword, but... it was blue.

"What is that?" Mei asked, stopping next to her.

She shook her head, "its, like Nathaniels sword, but a different color."

"Maybe its symbolic?" Mei asked, siding her own weapon and pulling out a datapad, "I'll record its presence and see if he can shed any light on it. Maybe... I dont know."

Tracer frowned and looked at the older woman, "I doubt it was him."

Mei smiled sadly, "who else could have done this?"

Lena didnt reply. There were a few she knew who could've, but the sword was no coincidence.

She stepped towards it and-

' ** _Embrace the light...'_**

She blinked.

"You here that?"

"Here what?" Mei asked without looking up from her data pad, which was now connected to a terminal.

Lena shook her head again, "nothing."

She gulped and stepped closer.

' ** _The light will fade...'_**

She grimaced as something... as a feeling, flashed through her.

It wasn't pleasant.

But...

She felt... pulled... towards it.

It was radiating something she'd never felt, but it was intoxicating.

' ** _Build me an army, worthy of the dark.'_**

"Lena!"

Too late.

She was reaching, and her hand wrapped around the handle of the sword.

There was a flash of bright white light.

And when Mei opened her eyes...

"Lena, where are you!"

She was alone.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **I reddited this after seeing complaints of errors and the like. Also, hope you enjoy, don't worry, this won't end with cliche heists and the cliche everyone becomes a Guardian that most people make these stories into. Everything is still going to stay the course of as relaistic and somber as possible.**

 **I know it's been a while sorry about that. I'm trying to get back on the once a month schdesch but new job and life have kept me kinda busy. Anyway, sorry this chapter is short but the only other part would be to add the actual hesit, and unfortunately it didn't fit the pacing of this chapter. Next chapter we'll get that, and we'll get some explanation for Nate plus a hint of what happens to Tracer.**

 **Things are heating up and the mid arc climax is about four chapters away.**

 **Anyway, check out my new fic! It's a RWBY one and I've always wanted to write a legit RWBY fic so yay!**

 **Don't worry, this fic isn't going anywhere, I have too much love for this story to let it die.**

 **Anyway hope y'all enjoy.**

 **God bless.**

 **-Metal4k**


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